Power Rangers Mystic Knights
by BigD1987
Summary: While on a school trip to Wales, five college students find themselves in a dangerous situation when their hotel is attacked. However, they come across a strange power that will change their lives forever.
1. The Quest Begins, Part 1

Power Rangers Mystic Knights, Episode 1: The Quest Begins, Part 1

The bus traveled down the Welsh highway at average speed. Why be in a hurry? Their destination had been there for centuries, it wasn't going to go anywhere any time soon. The grey skies were a simple background effect, but it was mostly cloudy, so there was some sun. But for some, going average speed isn't good enough. It's not that they want to die in a horrific crash that could have been prevented if the bus traveled the speed limit. It's more like they didn't really want to be in this current situation. One such passenger on this bus was feeling like this.

"Come on Kaz!" Javier de la Cruz said to his friend Kaz McDonough. "You've been looking like that all trip!" He pointed at his friend's bored look on his face. Kaz turned to look at Javier, and then went back to looking out the window. Javier threw his hands up and sighed in exasperation. The young Mexican-American from Los Angeles had been bugging his friend for some time.

Kaz, of course, ignored him.

"I really don't want to be here," Kaz finally said. This prompted Javier to look at the young man.

"And yet you still are," he said in response.

"Because you kept begging me," Kaz shot back. "You said, 'come on Kaz, it'll be a great idea', 'if you don't go, you'll regret it!' 'I don't know anyone on this trip, so you should come with me,' that kind of stuff."

"And it got you to come!" Javier said in response.

"After you wouldn't stop bugging me!" Kaz said through gritted teeth.

"It was the only way for you to come!" Javier shot back. "Otherwise, you would have just laid around the house all summer before getting back to UCF."

"At least Yumi would keep me company," he said, referring to his girlfriend.

"You wouldn't have gotten any good experience lying at home," Javier replied. "Come on, look on the bright side, you're broadening your horizons, isn't that what college is all about? Besides, your family would love for you to have this kind of experience!"

"You still owe me when we get back to Orlando," Kaz said. "I should have stayed in Cardiff."

"What good would that do you?" Javier asked as he sat back in his seat. "You'd probably be bored out of your ass at the hotel watching whatever crappy show comes on for hours on end. Besides, the chaperones wouldn't let you stay, we're staying overnight in Caerleon."

"Fuck," said Kaz. He turned his head and looked back out the window. Kaz was 19 years old. He had sort of a baby face about him, framed by his brown hair which covered the top of his ears. He had brown eyes, as well. He was part Japanese and it showed, albeit subtly in his facial features; a good look would show those features. Of course, he'd probably get a little upset if you did. His face was smooth, having shaved earlier in the day. His body type was athletic, but not too muscular. His skin tone was relatively fair.

As for Javier, it's already been stated that he's Mexican-American. He ran his hand through curly hair, which annoyed Kaz. He had much of the same body type as Kaz. Like Kaz, his eyes were brown as well. His olive skin tone contrasted with Kaz's skin tone. Unlike Kaz he had a little bit of fuzz on his face. He must not have shaved lately.

"Hey, don't take that tone with me," said Javier. Kaz just turned his head and put in his earphones, much to Javier's displeasure. So he turned around and looked at the other people in the bus.

He noticed an African-American guy (_isn't he an MMA fighter? I know I've seen him somewhere_) engrossed in his book right across from him. He looked behind to see a girl, which he thought must be Simone de Silva, that Brazilian girl who walked around campus barefoot. In front of her was—he thinks—Jennifer Robben, who he used to go out with (_it was just one trip to McDonalds!_)

Kaz must have been right to put on his earphones, since the trip from Cardiff to Caerleon was longer than both of them expected. Well, probably because the Welsh countryside is pretty dull, anyway (no offense meant to Welsh readers; it's just from the point of view of people who are not from Wales). Of course, Caerleon isn't that far from Cardiff, anyway.

Kaz just listened to his music and let himself zone out. We already know he wasn't crazy about coming to Wales in the first place. It was partially because he had a hard time getting his passport since he only signed up a couple months prior to the trip began. He would have preferred to go to Japan—he is part Japanese, after all. But since we already know Javier talked him into it, we can see how well that went. Part of the reason he wasn't too crazy about going was because he wouldn't see his girlfriend Yumi for a while. Of course, Javier had something to say about that ("_It's a 3-week trip to Britain!"_ said Javier. "_She'll be fine!_") Of course, Kaz would argue differently. He had only been dating the girl for a short time and he wanted to get to know her more.

But, Javier had still talked him into this. Kaz hadn't had much fun and the soon-to-be UCF sophomore just wanted to go home. His chronic boredom wasn't going to be cured by playing endless hours of _Zelda_, either.

Eventually the bus rolled into Caerleon. The bus went over to Isca Augusta, the Roman ruins on the south side of town. The group on the bus departed and was led to the ruins of the amphitheatre. Now Kaz was actually impressed. Although the amphitheatre was mostly covered in green, it certainly looked impressive. The group was shepherded into arena and sat down in front of the old seating area. A man came out and stood in front of them on the field.

"Good morning," he said in his Welsh accent. He was an older man, around the age of 60. His white hair was thinning and he wore a black suit and tie.

"_Good morning_," the group replied half-heartedly, Kaz included.

"Well, that's out of the way," he said. "My name is Jacob Llewellyn, I'm a history professor at Cardiff University, and I'd like to welcome you all to Caerleon, or in this case, Isca Augusta."

"This is boring," Kaz muttered to Javier.

"Now you're all in the amphitheatre," said Prof. Llewellyn. "Now this is one of the open points at Isca Augusta. How many of you have heard of the Roman Coliseum?" The majority of the class raised their hands. "Good. Now, if you know anything about the Coliseum in Rome, then you'd probably guess much of the same events took place here. It's possible some gladiators got their start here at the Caerleon amphitheatre. Those that didn't well, you can probably tell what happened."

"Okay, now this is getting interesting," said Kaz.

"Imagine, you're a gladiator during the height of the Roman Empire," said Prof. Llewellyn. "Six thousand people chanting your name, you hear them cheer for you as you enter the arena. It almost makes you forget you're a slave and you're fighting for their amusement." The group laughed. "However, the gladiators were fighting for freedom, and some were even volunteers who not only risked their lives, but their social standings and personal lives."

"That sucks," said Javier.

"Now let's be clear, these were slaves who were typically sentenced to gladiator combat as punishment," said Prof. Llewellyn. "When the gladiators themselves were to fight—essentially the marquee fights of the day—the gladiators would gather in front of the Emperor, raise their right hands and shout, '_Ave, Imperator, morituri te salutant_!', which means 'Hail the Emperor, we who are about to die salute you!' But then again, these men were very expensive, so only one in ten bouts ended in a fatality.

At the same time, gladiators were the predecessors of today's superstar athletes. These men—and sometimes women-had followings of adoring women! But, I think I'm getting ahead of myself. I suppose you all are here for another reason."

"King Arthur!" One voice called out. Javier suspected it was that Richard Lewis guy.

"Exactly!" Professor Llewellyn said. "Caerleon is mentioned in many Arthurian texts dating back to AD 830. Geoffrey of Monmouth himself wrote about how Arthur held court at Caerleon. Of course, Monmouth is close to Caerleon so it might have been local bias. According to legend—which may just be stories made up in a pub somewhere—there is a cave in the wood where 1,000 of Arthur's men sleep until they are needed by Wales. Truth be told, they should have awoken by now."

"I think he's trying to be funny," said Javier. Prof. Llewellyn's joke had obviously gone over the heads of the UCF students.

"Anyway, this amphitheatre we now sit in is connected to the legend as well," he said. "This is said to be the true site of the Round Table itself. In fact, it is said that Arthur sleeps below our very feet. Why no one has tried to excavate here is beyond me, but I suppose it's because they don't want to damage the amphitheatre. It's a noble reason. Well, I guess I've bored you long enough. I'll let you all disperse and I hope you enjoy you visit here to Caerleon."

[][][]

"I can't believe we got to stay at the Celtic Manor Resort Hotel!" said Javier as he flopped on his bed. "I want to play 18 holes tomo—are you still playing _Zelda_, Kaz?"

"So?" Kaz asked without even looking up from his 3DS. Suddenly, Javier yanked the game out of his hands. "Hey! What did you do that for?"

"Stop playing that game!" Javier said. "You can't just sit around and play video games all evening, let's go out and meet people! I recognized some people, so we'll be fine. Let's go!" He grabbed Kaz's wrist and yanked the reluctant young man from the bed and into the hallway.

"Hey, stop!" He said. Javier would have none of it, however, and he kept dragging Kaz.

"Come on, let's go to the dining room!" he said. Kaz tried to resist.

"You're practically pulling my arm out!" He said to get Javier to stop. Of course, it didn't work.

They only stopped when crashed into someone in the hall, and of course, with Kaz being dragged along, it was only natural that he'd be aught up in the mess as well. All three people were piled on top of each other (no that is not meant to be gay). "Get the fuck off of me!" The person on the bottom growled. Kaz easily obliged and scrambled off of him. The dazed Javier, however, had trouble getting off and the person had to push him off.

"Sorry about that," said Kaz. "See why you shouldn't drag me around like that?" He said to Javier.

"Jeez, sorry," said Javier. "Sorry, buddy I—wait, aren't you Richard Lewis?"

"You know me?" Richard asked.

"Well, I saw you at an MMA fight," said Javier.

"So someone actually goes to those fights?" He asked. "I'm impressed?" Richard, and African-American gentleman, was built, naturally, like a track star. He was bigger than both Kaz and Javier and clearly more athletic. He was also older than them, appearing 20 or 21 (they're 19). He had short black hair, borderline bald. His face was slender, but attached to that thick neck of his.

"Yeah, someone has to do it," said Javier. "Oh, I'm Javier de la Cruz. My not-so-enthusiastic friend is Kaz McDonough."

"I'm more enthusiastic than you," Kaz said in response. He bent down to pick up the books Richard dropped and noticed the title of one of the books. "What's this?"

"_Le Morte D'Arthur _by Thomas Mallory," said Richard. "In case you are wondering, I am trying to become an Arthurian scholar."

"You like that stuff?" Javier asked. "Hell, you and Kaz would get along just fine. He loves _Legend of Zelda."_ Kaz gave Javier a dirty look. Richard understood he was taking a dig at Kaz, so he laughed.

"So how do you two know each other?" He asked.

"We were roommates," said Javier. Richard nodded.

"Well, I have to get going," he said. "See you two later."

"_Bye,_" they both said in unison as Richard left. Javier tried to grab Kaz's wrist but Kaz retaliated by grabbing Javier's wrist.

"Could you not do that?" He asked. "I'll come this time, sheez!"

Javier led Kaz to one of the dining rooms where the group was having dinner. Of course, not _en masse_, but that's where they ate. The two picked out a nice dinner for them and looked for a place to eat dinner. Looking for a table, Javier spotted two girls and took Kaz over to them. They were both talking together and didn't notice either of them. Until one girl noticed them, that is.

"Javier?" She asked.

"Hi Jen," said Javier.

"You know her?" Kaz asked.

"We dated," said Jen.

"It was one trip to McDonald's," Javier replied. Kaz raised an eyebrow and Javier sat down. Kaz followed.

"So who's this?" Jen asked.

"This is my roommate," said Javier. "His name is Kaz McDonough. Kaz, this is Jennifer Robben."

"Hello," she said as she shook Kaz's hand. Jen had lighter skin than Javier. She had a pretty, but intelligent look about her. She had brown hair tied up in a ponytail along with brown eyes. She had a petite figure and a tough air about her. "This is my friend Simone de Silva." She gestured to the woman to her right.

"Isn't she the girl who walks around campus barefoot?" Kaz asked. Javier elbowed him for his rudeness.

"_Sim_," she said. Kaz and Javier looked confused at each other. Kaz apparently thought Javier would help him. "It's Portuguese," she replied.

"Well, I know you're supposed to be from Brazil, right?" Javier asked.

"That is correct," Simone replied. "I'm from Rio De Janeiro." Like Jen, Simone was a good-looking young woman. He skin was lighter than Javier's skin tone, though but her hair was just as dark as Javier's. Like her friend, she had a petite figure but a tough appearance. Her hair was longer than Jen's hair. "So Kaz, do you have a girlfriend?"

Kaz was knocked back by Simone's question. Not only did that come right out of nowhere, but the directness of the question bewildered him. "Yes," he said. "Her name's Yumi."

"Oh," said Simone. "Is she nice?"

"Very nice," said Kaz.

"If you know what he means," said Javier. Kaz elbowed him in the chest in response.

"No, I get was Kaz means," said Simone. "So Javier, what do you plan to do these next couple of days?"

"I want to play 18 holes!" He replied. This earned a look from Kaz.

"What the hell is it with you and golf?" He asked.

"What the hell is it with you and _The Legend of Zelda_?" Javier shot back.

"Apparently you guys are good friends," Simone joked. This earned her a look from the two of them. "Sorry, it was meant as a joke."

"Whatever," said Kaz.

"I take it you don't want to be here," said Jen.

"No," said Kaz. "I don't want to be here."

"Figures," she said. "Javier dragged you here, huh?"

"Yeah," said Kaz.

"Ah, don't worry about it," she said. "You'll probably find something fun to do once we get back to Cardiff."

"I can't go to the pubs though," said Kaz. "I'm too young."

"Well, so are we," said Simone. "But there are still things we can do. "I mean, Javier wants to go golfing. I think we could do that tomorrow, don't you think, Jen."

"Sounds like a good idea," she said. "I'll see you losers on the golf course."

"I hate golf," Kaz muttered to himself. However, Javier tapped him on the back of the head.

"Deal with it," he said. "We're hitting the links tomorrow."

[][][]

A couple of hours later, Javier came back into the room he and Kaz were sharing. Instead of being fixated on his Nintendo 3DS, he was on the phone. From the way he was talking, it sounded like he was talking with his girlfriend Yumi. Javier shook his head and turned on the TV. He turned the volume up high to mess with Kaz. It seemed to work, too. Kaz gave him a dirty look while he kept talking, eventually (apparently) deciding to hang up.

"Okay, love ya babe, gotta go. Javier, would you turn that shit _down_?"

"Okay," he said before turning the volume down. "Guess what?"

"What?"

"I just reserved us a tee time for the Roman Road course tomorrow," Javier said.

"Tomorrow?" Kaz asked. "And you reserved it tonight?"

"Yep," said Javier. Kaz looked at him skeptically. He didn't think he could reserve tee times at this hour. "We'll be able to rent clubs, too, so you won't have any excuses not to play." Kaz sighed in disappointment before conceding.

"All right," he said. "But I'm not wearing anything stupid."

"You don't have to," said Javier. "You wear—what the hell are you looking at?" Kaz was not paying attention to Javier, instead looking out the window at… something.

"I don't know," he said. "I thought I saw a flash of light out there."

"Light?" Javier asked. "Are you sure it's not some airplane lights?"

"Didn't look like airplane lights," he replied. "Ah well, it's probably nothing, anyway."

[][][]

The next day, Kaz and Javier went to the clubhouse for the Roman Road course. The Roman Road course was close to the river Usk and a wooded area. The two walked in looking very out of place, wearing t-shirts, cargo shorts and tennis shoes. There they noticed Simone and Jen. Luckily for them, both were also out of place, not even wearing the right clothes, either.

"You two ready to get your asses kicked?" Simone asked.

"You wish," said Javier. Kaz shrugged.

"Oh, by the way, we brought along another player," said Jen. Kaz and Javier looked at each other for a second before turning back.

"Who?"

Jen waved to someone looking at some golf balls and he came over to them. Javier's eyes widened as he recognized the guy.

"Richard Lewis?" He asked. "You're playing?"

"I might as well," said Richard. "They invited me, so I thought, 'what the hell?'"

"Oh damn, they have a ringer," said Kaz. "We're screwed."

"Don't worry about it," said Javier. "I have a good game; we'll beat 'em."

The five started their game in earnest. They all rented clubs and a cart from the clubhouse and set out on their little golf game. The outing was quiet, the group enjoying themselves over a peaceful round of golf. Most of the time was spent getting to know each other. They found out Simone had a friend from Venezuela named Maria and Kaz had relatives who fought on both sides during World War II: some relatives fought for Japan, some fought for the United States.

"Come on, what kind of swing was that?" Javier taunted after Richard took a swing. Richard looked at Javier and shook his head while Javier chuckled to himself. Kaz shook his head and stepped up to the tee. "Kaz, will you take the Dr. Pepper hat off?" Javier taunted.

"Hey, shut up!" he shouted back as he got up from the tee. "I like that stuff!"

"We're not supposed to be doing product placement!" Javier shouted.

"Shut up and let me tee up!" Kaz said again.

"Come on, quit pestering him," said Jen. Kaz wound up and took a big cut driving the ball a very good distance. "Not bad," she said as she stepped up to the tee. She also gave the ball a big whack and it landed near the hole. Even Javier was (sincerely) impressed.

"Wow!" He said. "That was good."

"I'd like to see you try," she replied. Javier could tell she was being sarcastic, anyway. Simone was next and she too drove the ball a good distance, with the ball landing closest to the tee. It was Javier's turn now.

"Let me show ya'll how it's done," he said. He stepped up to the tee, took a big swing and sent the ball towards the hole. Unfortunately, the ball sliced left and ended up being the farthest from the hole.

"Is that how it's done?" Simone asked. Javier glared at her while the group went to find their balls.

"You see that?" Kaz said. "Right next to the green!"

"Oh, you suck!" Javier said. His ball was on the edge of the fairway and the farthest from the green. Simone's was the best, of course, landing right on the green and pretty close to the flag, so she would go last. Javier did manage to get his ball on to the green eventually, and he was farthest from the tee. Simone had not shot by this time, so Javier would go.

"Isn't someone else supposed to go?" Jen asked.

"Well, Simone did miss the hole," said Kaz as he held the flag. "Come on Javier, just putt already!"

"Alright! Alright!" Javier said as he lined up his putt. He kept checking the hole and his putt, making sure he was lined up. "Okay Kaz, get ready to remove the flag," he said. He was just about to putt, but he noticed Kaz wasn't moving. "Kaz. Kaz! Goddammit, KAZ!" He looked up to see Kaz staring off to the distance. "Kaz! Get your head out of the clouds, what are you looking at?" Kaz's face was frozen and showed a subtle look of shock on his face. However, he did raise his finger to point in the opposite direction of Javier. Javier looked in that direction and what he saw made him jump.

Several skeletons had stepped out of the nearby woods and were advancing on the group. These were not normal skeletons. They were armed with swords and shields and there were quite a few. The group had no idea what was going on, especially since these things had come out of nowhere right during their golf game.

"That does not look good," said Simone. It might be the understatement of the century.

"I think we should get out of here," said Kaz. "We don't want any trouble from these things."

"Yeah, I think you're right," said Richard. The group picked up their clubs and slowly moved towards their carts—and then broke into a full sprint. They got to the cart but found out the hard way they were surrounded. It became clear that the resort was under attack.

"Shit! Run!" Kaz shouted. The group abandoned the cart and bolted for the resort hotel. Unfortunately, more skeletons blocked their escape route. They definitely were surrounded.

"What do we do now?" Simone asked.

"We make a break for those woods over there," said Kaz, pointing in the direction of the river Usk.

"I'm not sure if that's such a good idea," said Richard.

"You got a better idea?" Kaz asked.

"Good point," said Richard. The group broke for the woods. The armed skeletons chased them all the way there. Simone looked back to notice a horde of skeletons advancing on the resort hotel.

And then she found a skeleton in front of her. The skeletons swarmed the group, forcing them to fight.

"Get out of the way!" Kaz shouted as he punched one of the skeletons. Next he kicked a skeleton in the head, which knocked the skeleton's head off. Next he punched an unprotected skeleton in the ribcage, easily breaking the unprotected ribs. He swept a skeleton off of its feet while still trying to get to the woods. He then ducked to avoid a sword swing from one of the skeletons. He responded by roundhouse kicking that same skeleton in the head. He dodged a skeleton easily before kicking a skeleton in the chest and knocked it into a group of skeletons. This gave him an opening to sprint to the woods.

"Hey, wait for me!" Javier called out. He threw a skeleton off of him and punched it right in the face. Next he spun around and slammed into a skeleton's chest armor, easily avoiding its shield. He dodged a sword swing from a skeleton but only just barely and was in a pretty precarious situation. He fixed this by ducking and letting two skeletons crash into each other. He chuckled before getting up and kicking a skeleton into another one. He tried to make a break for it but found himself facing two skeletons. He punched one and elbowed the other before breaking away and following Kaz to the woods.

"Don't leave me behind!" Richard called out. He bashed a pair of skulls together before smashing another skull. Then he kicked a skeleton's plate armor easily to smash its bones underneath. The whole premise of this fight reminded him of the skeleton scene from the old _Jason and the Argonauts _movie—except this was real. He rolled to avoid some skeletons but knew he had to fight. He wound up his arm and threw a mighty punch at a skeleton and smashed its skull. He kicked at a skeleton that had come in behind him and kicked at one in front of him. Then he found an opening and sprinted towards the woods.

"Hold up!" called Simone. She had her hands full with skeletons and in a heap of trouble. However, she managed to get the skeletons off of her and wiggled her way out of the mob. Of course, she still had to fight them. She kicked the sword out of the hand of one skeleton and punched its face. She had a little more room now and kicked a skeleton in the groin. The problem is, it doesn't have much of a groin and she realized that. She bent down to avoid two incoming skeletons and those two collided. These things must not be very intelligent. She now had room and took off following Kaz, Javier and Richard.

"You will _not _leave me behind!" Jen called out angrily. She twirled like a ballet dancer, hitting her foes in front, beside and behind her. She leapt with ballet-like grace and kneed one of her enemies right in the face, smashing it in. She leapt backwards dodging a skeleton sword. She retaliated easily, kicking its chest plate. With her opponents thinning out, she had a good chance to make a break for it. However, she still had some skeletons blocking her way. She remedied her situation, though, by kicking both of the armed skeletons in front of her. Then she broke for the woods.

"Come on, hurry up!" Kaz called out. The group was close enough to the woods. All that was left was one more fairway to cross and that was it. Suddenly, a group of skeletons popped in front of them. They stopped in their tracks and changed directions, going due north to get to the woods. The skeletons missed hitting them by inches. They finally reached the edge of the woods, though, and Kaz beckoned them in.

"Come on, let's go!" He shouted. He let the others enter the woods first. He looked at the resort hotel and noticed it was surrounded by skeletons. The British army must not have arrived and whatever police presence there was in the town was not enough to stop the skeletons. Shouldn't they be easy? He wasted no time, however, and ran right into the woods. He looked back in time to see a large figure on a big black horse ride over to the resort hotel.

Back at the hotel, the staff had been captured and most of the students in the trip group had been rounded up as well. Too many skeletons had attacked the resort and had overwhelmed resort security. At the same time, they had crossed into town and had begun attacking and rounding up terrified townspeople. Whatever this was, it was not good. The skeletons held black banners emblazoned with a white dragon.

The big figure on the big black horse rode up to the mayor of Caerleon back at the resort hotel. The mayor tried to look at him defiantly, but a hint of fear betrayed him. It's perfectly understandable, though. The figure dismounted from his horse and sauntered up to the mayor. The armor he wore certainly didn't look like anything that re enactors would wear. This was a purely menacing figure.

The figure removed his helmet. Underneath was a surprisingly human face, but still intimidating. He had a scar on the ride side of his face running from the forehead over the eye. He appeared to be close to middle-aged, his beard a short fuzz. He looked at the mayor and said, "Are you the leader of this settlement?"

"Yes," he replied in as strong a voice as possible. He would not let this man intimidate him.

The figure looked at him. He stared him down, not breaking eye contact. "What is your name?"

"Robert Bowen," he replied.

"And how did you become leader of this realm?"

"I was elected mayor of Caerlon last year," he said. The figure raised an eyebrow.

"Elected?" he asked. "What does that mean?"

"When the people choose you for a public office," Mayor Bowen replied.

"The people choose their leaders?" The intimidating man asked.

"Yes," replied Mayor Bowen.

"I see," he said. "What year is this? Tell me now!" The mayor was startled by the forcefulness of the question.

"It is the year 2011," the mayor replied. The man looked at him with a surprised look on his face.

"Two thousand and eleven?" He asked. His fist balled up in anger and his face certainly showed some rage. "That fool! He sealed me for 1500 years? Merlin will pay!"

"Merlin?" The mayor asked. You don't mean—"

"I am Vortigern!" He interrupted. "I am the true ruler of this island! Uther Pendragon and his fool Merlin sealed me in this god-forsaken town and now I have come back to take my revenge on Pendragon! But now that he's most likely dead, I'll just destroy this town and re-build my kingdom. Tell me, where are the swords?"

"What swords?" Professor Llewellyn asked.

"You mean you don't know?" Vortigern asked. Prof. Llewellyn shook his head. "You have never heard of the swords in stone?"

"I know of the sword in the stone," said Prof. Llewellyn. Vortigern was not going to ask anymore questions.

Just then, a sentry rode up to Vortigern. "Sir, some of our Skull Soldiers encountered a group of youths attempting to escape. The youths escaped into the woods to the north." Vortigern's face showed even more anger.

"The woods?" He said. "FIND THEM!"

"Yes, my lord!" The sentry said before riding off. Vortigern wanted the group dead.

Speaking of them, they were now trying to rest in the woods. They had run for goodness-knows-how-long and had escaped, but they were not safe just yet. Unfortunately, they had run into the woods one the banks of the River Usk. Not a good spot.

"We should be safe for now," Kaz said in between pants.

"Yeah, but they can surround us easily!" said Richard. "You led us in to this mess!"

"You should be glad I got us out of there!" He said. "When shit hits the fan, Kaz takes command!"

"Yeah, but Kaz got us into even more shit," said Richard.

"Guys, guys," said Simone. "Let's not fight. "We need to stick together and—oh, no!" The others looked to see some Skull Soldiers coming their way.

"I say we get moving," said Kaz.

"Good idea," said Javier. All five quickly broke towards the river. Well, whatever direction that was.

But they did not expect the run to be longer than it did. Things really got weird when a mist descended on the woods. It was sunny, cloudless day when they started and this was not what they had expected. Then, they came across stone ruins.

"Ruins?" Kaz asked. "What the hell is this?"

"I don't know," said Javier. "I'm not even sure if we're in Caerleon anymore." The ruins were short, only up to each person's head. They were made of stone and they looked elaborate, too. From what it seemed, this was once a mighty fortress or something like that. The mist shrouded the ruins. It was difficult to see.

The group looked around, trying to find what where they were. Kaz took out his smart phone. "I'm going to call someone," he said. Unfortunately, "It's not working! I can't get a signal."

"Me neither," said Javier.

"Me neither," said Richard.

"_Me neither,_" Simone and Jen said in unison.

"Great!" Kaz said as he sat down. "We're trapped here and—what the hell are those?" he looked to see five objects sticking out of a rock a couple yards away. He ran over to them and examined them. "Swords!" he said. "Stone swords! And they look exactly like the Master Sword from _Twilight Princess!_"

"You mean _Zelda_?" Javier asked. Kaz nodded. "You play _way _too many video games. Besides why would anyone design their swords like that, anyway?"

"Kaz, think about it," said Richard. "From what it looks like, these ruins are old and those swords might be, too. If anything the Master Sword looks like _them_!"

"Well we're not going to pull them out," said Simone. "We're stuck here until we can find our way out."

"We're in trouble," said Jen.

[][][]

End chapter


	2. The Quest Begins, Part 2

Power Rangers Mystic Knights, episode 2: The Quest Begins, Part 2

Vortigern was getting furious. His Skull Soldiers had searched for over an hour and they had yet to find the missing youths anywhere in the town. He acknowledged some townspeople may have left, but they had left before he arrived. They had entered some woods near the River Usk, and were still missing. The problem with Skull Soldiers is that they don't search very thoroughly. The person who had unsealed him would have some questions coming their way.

Those youths would have to be found. If Merlin's prediction was correct… that didn't matter. Right now he had to find them.

"Keep searching!" He said to one of his lieutenants. "I'm going to have a word with their… what is it called again?"

"These people call them 'chaperones'," said one of his lieutenants.

"Perfect," said Vortigern. He got off of his horse and walked over to the resort hotel. "Bring me the chaperone for the 'University of Central Florida' group!" One of the Skull Soldiers nodded and went inside. A few minutes later they came out dragging one of the chaperones. "YOU!" He shouted. "What is your name?"

"M-my name is Benjamin Harris," he said. "I-I-I'm a chaperone."

"I see that," said Vortigern. "There are five members of your group missing. Who are they?"

"I don't know," said Ben. "I know five of them were going out for a golf outing, but that's it, nothing else."

"Five members of your group were last seen on the golf course running into the woods near the river Usk," said Vortigern, getting more agitated and in Benjamin's face. "I want to know who they are."

"You mean we're missing some?" Ben asked, his face showing his realization. Vortigern facepalmed, but not in a sarcastic manner.

"OF COURSE!" Vortigern bellowed. "Who are they?"

"I think one of our students named Javier de la Cruz was talking about going golfing today," said Ben. "I think he might be one of them. To my knowledge, he hasn't been accounted for."

"Well, now that might not be much, but it's good enough," said Vortigern. "Who was he with?"

"He tends to spend time with a person named Kaz McDonough. They were roommates last year."

"Very good," said Vortigern. "For your information, I have decided not to kill you. Take him away!" Ben sighed in relief while the Skull Soldiers took him back into the resort hotel. "What realm are they from?" He asked.

"They are from a place called 'America'," said one lieutenant. "It's a far-off place."

"I see," said Vortigern. "That sounds like a good place to conquer. Sixteen hundred years in an endless void has made me ambitious. Now then, those fools will not be able to hide for long. I can feel it."

Speaking of which, we find the group still holed up in the ruins they came across earlier. They had been trying for an hour to contact anyone, but their phones still did not work. They were beginning to despair. It seemed like they would not go home now. Whatever was going on it had certainly affected them. (_That sounded terrible! Who writes this, anyway?_)

Moving on. Javier picked up a rock and threw it in frustration. Simone paced, trying to think of something and Richard just stared at the sky. Kaz kept looking at the stone swords. He was able to get a look at them more.

The swords certainly did look like the Master Sword (although it should be the other way around). Javier probably would think Kaz played too much _Legend of Zelda_; to be honest he does kind of play it too much. But he does leave time for more important things, like his girlfriend.

"Guys, what are we going to do?" Javier asked. "I got nothing."

"We could take those swords over there," said Kaz.

"Get real Kaz," said Richard. "Those swords would never be released. They're probably just sculptures." Kaz's self-esteem took a hit and he slinked against the wall and hid his face in his hands.

"I'm never playing golf again," said Simone. "If we hadn't gone out on this golf outing, this wouldn't have happened."

"Those things were attacking the hotel," said Javier. "Would it have been any different if we stayed at the hotel?"

"Good point," said Simone.

Jen just sat around. She just wanted to get out, just like the rest of them. Only her despair was more evident. She rubbed her face and finally broke the silence. "We're fucked."

The others looked at her. "That might be the understatement of the century," said Richard. "We're _beyond _fucked."

"We're in strange ruins in a foreign country and we have no idea where we are," said Javier. "I'd say we're fucked."

"We're not fucked," said Simone. "We're motherfucked."

"Probably," said Javier. "We—Kaz, what are you doing?"

Kaz was standing in front of the stones, particularly the middle one. They couldn't see his face, but it looked conflicted. He was seriously considering taking one of the swords. "You're not serious, are you?" Richard asked. "You can't pull those out. Those things are rock, if they even make contact with the swords of those skeletons, they'll break. Quit bullshitting yourself."

But Kaz did not move. Instead, he slowly reached for the middle sword. He put his fingers around it. He hesitated and began to pull. "Kaz, cut it out!" Simone shouted. However, desperation had taken over Kaz and he wasn't listening. Instead, he struggled to pull the sword out.

His face strained. But his determination was strong. With a mighty yell, he pulled with all his might.

… And freed the sword.

The others watched in amazement as he lifted it above his head. Although it was still stone, it still was amazing he had been able to pull the sword out of the stone.

"Well, desperate times call for desperate measures," said Simone as she walked over to the stone. She picked one sword and began to pull. Like Kaz, she was able to free that sword from the rock. Then, Richard came over. He too, was desperate enough to try and he pulled the sword next to Kaz's. Jen was next, pulling one of the end swords. Javier shrugged and walked up to the swords. He pulled the last one out, one next to where Kaz's used to be.

Suddenly, the mist began to dissipate. The group looked around them as the think mist soon dissipated. And with the mist, the ruins began to vanish like they were just some mirage. Soon, they were in the woods they were last in. It was as if nothing had happened.

Richard looked down at his phone. "It's working!" He said excitedly.

"All right then," said Kaz. "Let's get out of here."

"You sure?" Javier asked. "What if those things are out there?"

Kaz looked at his friend with a confident look. It certainly surprised Javier when he saw it. "We have weapons," he said. "We can take them."

"We can do it," said Jen. "Now let's go."

With their phones now working, they were able to find their way out of the woods and back to the golf course. The group walked out of the woods and right into the fire. Skull Soldiers spotted them and rushed forward to attack them. A couple split from the group to report to Vortigern. The group raised their swords and prepared to fight. The Skull Soldiers rushed forward and met the group.

Kaz swung the sword first. His face showed a look of determination as he struck the first Skull Soldier. Then he swung a backhand at one behind him. He side-stepped to dodge a Skull Soldier's sword and retaliated with a roundhouse kick. He caught the blade of an enemy in the ricasso of his sword and used the winged cross guard to catch the blade and threw the Skull Soldier to the ground. Although it was made of stone, the sword held up surprisingly well.

He took a big backhanded swing and smashed the spines of quite a few Skull Soldiers. Then Javier ducked and blocked the blade of another Skull Soldier. He parried a Skull Soldier sword and countered with a forward thrust. He dodged a downward strike from a Skull Soldier and backhanded the Skull Soldier in response. He rolled out of the way while a pair of arrows zipped past. He saw how close that was and went back to fighting.

For Richard, it was a little more difficult. He had the most Skull Soldiers swarming him and fighting them all was the hard part. But then again, he's faced tougher opponents in the octagon. He just adapted his fighting style to the situation, punching a Skull Soldier hard. He ducked then jabbed and crushed his opponent's face. He the parried an attack with his sword and countered with his fist to the Skull Soldier's face.

While the guys fought individually, the girls fought side-by-side. Simone and Jen were back-to-back, parrying Skull Soldier swords and countering with their swords. They fought with intensity, slashing Skull Soldiers, left, right, in front and behind them. Simone swung the sword down, smashing a Skull Soldier's skull Jen forehanded another, destroying its chestplate. They had no answers for them, and the Skull Soldiers were at Jen and Simone's mercy.

"Lord Vortigern, sir!" One of his sentries called out. "The missing five, they've turned up!"

"Where?" Vortigern asked.

"Out on the golf course, they're fighting some of our Skull Soldiers!"

"Really now?" Vortigern asked. "I suppose I should go see them. Make sure the prisoners don't escape. And spread our forces into the town. We're going to start our conquest right here!"

"Yes, milord!"

"Hyah!" Vortigern kicked his horse in the side and galloped to the golf course where his Skull Soldiers were fighting the missing five. From what it sounded, they were doing quite well for future people. His horse galloped feverishly, carrying its master to his battle. The black horse's armor was just as imposing as its master's armor. Vortigern reached the battlefield.

The group was doing well, fighting hard and intense. Although they were not sword experts, they had enough skill with the weapon to deal with the Skull Soldiers. Their other skills also made up for their lack of experience with swords. Richard, the MMA fighter, was probably the best of them. But Kaz was the best with the sword, knowing how to swing and what to do with it.

He would be Vortigern's opponent.

Vortigern trotted over to Kaz, still fighting the Skull Soldiers. That's when they stopped, to his surprise. He wanted to keep fighting, but he saw Vortigern's imposing figure tower over him.

Even the brave Kaz was scared in this moment.

"I see you are skilled with a sword," Vortigern said as he dismounted and drew his massive blade. "But let's see how well you do against a master." He saluted Kaz before thrusting at him. Kaz dodged and parried his strike. Vortigern wound up his sword, threatening Kaz. Kaz rolled out of the way of Vortigern's backhand. "Impressive!" He said.

"I'm full of surprises," Kaz replied. Vortigern swung downwards and Kaz blocked his attack. Vortigern applied the pressure on Kaz before noticing the sword.

"No…" he said before letting up. Kaz threw him off and countered with a forehanded swing. Vortigern jumped out of the way. "Where did you find that sword?"

"Over in the woods," said Kaz. "I pulled it out of a rock." Vortigern was furious. How could this future boy possibly wield the sword?

"That is one of the Caliburn Swords," he said angrily. "You will give that to me!"

Kaz was confused. What was so great about the sword? "This thing? It's made of rock, what are you so worked up about?"

Vortigern got a look at the sword. "I see. I suppose it's nothing worth fighting over if it's made of stone. Although I must say it is of good quality."

"Okay," said Kaz. "And who are you, anyway?"

"Who am I?" He asked angrily. "I am VORTIGERN! I am the lord of this land, and you will bow down to me after I DEFEAT YOU!" He lunged at Kaz. Kaz parried his attack and countered. However, Vortigern backhanded him—with his fist. The young man flew backwards twenty feet from Vortigern. The dark lord sauntered up to him. He blocked Vortigern's next attack and threw him off.

Kaz rolled out of the way while the other members of the group joined back up with him. "Apparently these things are valuable," he said. "Until I told him it was rock."

"You will surrender now!" Vortigern shouted.

"Or else what?" Simone called out. Really, it was a bad move.

"Or this!" He held out his hand and a ball of energy formed. The group recoiled and started to run away as Vortigern threw the energy ball at them. It exploded behind them, throwing them in the air. They landed not to far from the River Usk, trapped.

"This is your fault, Kaz!" Javier shouted.

"My fault?" Kaz retaliated. "It's not my fault!"

"Will you two just shut the fuck up for once?" Simone shouted. "We should be worried about how we're going to get out of this mess!"

"THERE IS NO ESCAPE!" Vortigern boomed. "You will die here like the fools you are!" The group recoiled as Vortigern laughed evilly. None of them had any ideas of what to do next. In front of them was a horde of Skull Soldiers and behind them was the River Usk. They had nowhere to go. Instead, Kaz prepared to fight. If he was going down he might as well go down fighting. Jen followed, as did Simone. Richard was next and Javier was last. "I see you've chosen to fight. Very well then. It's more honorable to die fighting rather than die like cowards."

But Kaz stood his ground. His face showed his determination. And the sword apparently decided to reward him for his bravery. The gem piece in the sword began to glow, as did the gems in the other swords. There was a flash of light that surprised even Vortigern. When they looked they could not believe their eyes.

The swords had turned from stone to steel. Their hilts were colored red, blue, green, yellow and pink. Kaz held the red one, Richard the blue one, Javier the green one, Simone the yellow one and Jen the pink one. "The Caliburn Swords!" Vortigern shouted. "Give them to me, now!"

_Raise us above your heads,_ a voice told them in their heads. _And receive a great power_. The blades had begun to glow their respective colors. They looked at each other, wondering what to do. That's when Kaz nodded his head and raised the blade up to the heavens. The others followed, raising their blades to the heavens. Bolts of lightning struck the swords and the area was covered in a blinding light. Even the Skull Soldiers had to shield their eyes.

When the light faded, Vortigen looked. His jaw dropped and his eyes widened in shock. "What is this?"

The group was still standing there, their swords in the air. But they looked different. "KYAH!" They readied themselves to fight.

"WHAT IS THIS? WHAT JUST HAPPENED? WHAT ARE YOU!" Vortigern shouted. The group looked down at themselves.

"Holy shit!" Kaz shouted as he looked at himself. "What just happened?"

They were no longer in their regular outfits. Instead, they now wore spandex-like suits. The torso was colored with a white circle and an animal in the middle. The sleeves colored. The gloves were white and pointed at the top, the point ending near the elbow. They wore white belts with a triple spiral belt buckle. The pants were black but they wore colored boots and a black ring just under the tip of the boots. They wore helmets, too, with black visors. The mouthpieces were simple, just vertical grills. The suits were red, blue, green, yellow and pink. The girls wore little colored skirts.

In the circles, there were animals on them, but done in a medieval style like heraldic symbols. Kaz, the red one, had a red, four-legged dragon in his like on the Welsh flag. Richard, in blue, wore a rearing lion like the Scottish royal standard. Javier, in green had a rearing griffin. Simone, in yellow, wore a bear. And Jen, in pink, wore a lynx. Their helmets matched the animals, Kaz's like the head of a dragon. Richard's was like a lion's. Javier's a griffin. Simone's a bear and Jen's a lynx. "I've never felt anything like this!" said Kaz.

"This is incredible!" said Richard.

"Now I'm glad I went golfing!" said Javier.

"I can't believe this!" said Simone.

"This is better than anything I've ever felt!" said Jen.

"I never knew the Caliburn Swords had powers like this!" said Vortigern. "YOU WILL GIVE THEM TO ME NOW!"

"I have something to say to that!" Kaz replied. "Come and take them!"

"Very well, then," said Vortigern. "Skull Soldiers, KILL THEM ALL! But leave the red one to me!" The Skull Soldiers readied themselves and charged the group. They in turn readied themselves and ran towards the Skull Soldiers, who left Kaz to fight Vortigern.

Jen rolled forward, the suits giving her incredible energy. She backhanded a Skull Soldier, sparks flying. Then she kicked another one in the chest, pushing it into another group. She quickly blocked another Skull Soldier's attack and threw the Skull Soldier off, then slashed at it. Again, sparks flew as the Caliburn Sword hit its target. She ducked and countered another one and then backhanded another. She spun like a ballet dancer, kicking each Skull Soldier that came near here. "The power of the sword is amazing!" She said before going back to work.

Javier leapt and flew over a group of Skull Soldiers. He landed on the green and gave one a reverse roundhouse kick to the armor. He ducked and slammed into another one. Javier then swung his sword downwards, striking his opponent and sending sparks flying. With an incredible amount of energy, he felt like he could not stop fighting. He swung a forehanded blade strike and hit two Skull Soldiers. He ducked as two Skull Soldiers rushed in. They ended up colliding with each other. "I love this _power_!" He said laughing, he was enjoying himself.

Simone sweep-kicked a Skull Soldier off of its feet and thrust the blade into its chest. She withdrew the sword and side-kicked a Skull Soldier that was coming to her. She flipped over backwards, the grounded Skull Soldiers unable to counter. She stuck the landing and slashed a backhander at them to reduce some to a pile of bones. She parried a Skull Soldier sword and countered with a punch to the chest. She swung the sword upwards and that destroyed another Skull Soldier. "I've never felt so good in my life!" She said with excitement before fighting again.

Richard wound up his fist and pulverized the face of the Skull Soldier in front of him. He then kicked one and broke its unprotected arm. He had to avoid that one though, because it only lost its left arm. Its right arm was still functional. But he did smash its ribs with a powerful kick. A Skull Soldier snuck up behind him and grabbed his neck, but he threw the Skull Soldier to the ground when he was able to recover. He used his sword, backhanding a Skull Soldier. He then thrust the tip at another one. "Come on! I'll take all y'all on!" He shouted.

Kaz, of course, had to deal with Vortigern himself. Now energized by the suit's power, he stood more of a chance. He parried one of Vortigern's thrust and countered with a roundhouse kick. He ducked as Vortigern swung a powerfull backhander. Vortigern struck at his feet, but he jumped out of the way, spinning as he did. "Impressive!" said Vortigen.

"You haven't seen anything yet!" Kaz replied as he lunged at Vortigern. He swung his sword downwards but it was blocked by Vortigern. Their blades locked as they struggled. Kaz kept both his hands on the grip while Vortigern, wielding that massive sword of his, only needed one hand. However, Kaz threw Vortigern off and swung a backhander. It struck Vortigern and the dark lord let out a cry of pain.

"You little fool!" He shouted. His face was filled with rage. He was certainly not in a very forgiving or merciful mood.

"Uh-oh."

Vortigern swung his massive sword at Kaz. Kaz jumped out of the way and avoided his attack.

Simone, meanwhile, was dealing with several Skull Soldiers when she noticed Kaz was in trouble. "Oh, boy." Quickly she swung her sword and made a path through the Skull Soldiers to try and get to Kaz. Jen had the same idea as she cut a bee line straight for Vortigern. Jen leapt in the air and flew like a swan (she didn't know how she was able to do that) and slashed at Vortigern before landing. Naturally, this got his attention.

"Do not interrupt when two swordsmen are locked in combat, woman!" Vortigern shouted. Bad move.

"Then you're gonna get it!" Jen shouted as she lunged at Vortigern. The old man's old attitudes about women were proven wrong as Jen held her own against the dark lord. It also gave Kaz time to fight back as he was able to come back at Vortigern at full force, spinning around like Link does. It was three-against-one, three superheroes versus a dark lord. Vortigern's sword was large enough that all three blades met his. He threw them off and took a big forehanded swipe at all three, the wind from the swing knocking them all down.

"My fight is with the red one!" He bellowed. "Stay out of my way!"

"Then you'll have to get through us first!" A voice cut through the wind. Vortigern looked to see Javier and Richard leap in, their swords-a-swingin'. Their swords hit their target and sparks flew from Vortigern's armor. He lunged at them but they blocked the attack.

All five were gathered together in front of the dark lord Vortigern. The 1500-year-old man was furious at his situation. He decided to change it. He wound up and again swung the massive sword like a fan. The gust of wind knocked the others down and left Kaz standing. "Oh, crap!"

"You don't understand what you're getting into, do you?" Vortigern threatened. "I am VORTIGERN! I will not lose to some foreign fool who pulled a sword out of a rock! Prepare to DIE!"

_Kazuma, listen!_ He heard in his head. He looked around to find out what it was. _There is a way to defeat him._

"What?"

_Grip me tight, and do as I say._ Kaz held on tight, listening for the sword's instructions. _Call out for Dragon's Fire._

"Dragon's Fire!" He shouted. Instantly the blade burst into flames. Strangely he didn't feel the heat on his face.

_Now swing away._ Kaz swung the sword at Vortigern, his right hand guiding the grip (who writes the crap?). The sword hit its target and Vortigern felt the heat of the blade as he screamed in agony and staggered backwards.

"It seems the sword has taught you some tricks," he said. However, the others seemed to catch on.

"Lion's Water!"

"Griffin's Wind!"

"Bear's Earth!"

"Lynx's Spirit!"

All five blades charged up with their respective elements. Strangely, the lion was the water one. Shouldn't it be a shark or something? Anyway, all five blades glowed with their elements and they all took turns swinging away at Vortigern. He had no defense against them and he screamed in agony as they struck. He fell to the ground before getting back up. Now his face was filled with rage. "You. Will. Not. DEFEAT ME!" He bellowed. A shockwave emanated from him and it knocked all of them down. He walked over to Kaz and picked him up. "You bear the mark of Uther," he said. "Although you may not be him, I _will _have revenge on the Red Dragon!"

"Then see him in the underworld!" Kaz spat. Vortigern did not like his insolence and tossed him aside. Jen ran up and swiped at him. Her attack was on target and Vortigern was caught off guard by this onslaught. The others also rushed him to give Kaz some time to get up.

Richard backhanded him and Javier thrust his sword at him. Jen twirled like a ballet dancer and kicked him in the armor and Simone swung upwards. They all attacked simultaneously, their teamwork overpowering Vortigern. But the man was still more powerful than him and he wanted to fight Kaz.

Naturally he obliged.

Imitating his favorite video game character he spun on his foot and took a swipe at Vortigern. He backhanded, but the attack was parried. Richard helped him out, punching Vortigern in the gut. He took the opportunity to club him in the head with the pommel of his sword. Jen kneed Vortigern in the gut and he was still doubled over. However he recovered and swung his big sword at Kaz. He jumped out of the way and rolled to the right while Javier locked swords with him. Vortigern threw him off and slashed him with the sword.

Simone jumped on his back, followed by Jen. The two hacked away at him, but he threw them off his back. He went straight for Kaz and he lunged at him. Kaz parried the strike and tried to counter, but his blade locked with Vortigern's. He threw it off and parried another strike from Vortigern. That's when he saw something: an opening.

Taking his chances, Kaz put his left hand under the right like he was holding a baseball bat and he thrust the longsword at Vortigern. The dark lord tried his best to block but soon the air was filled with a sickening sound.

The dark lord's eyes bulged and he looked down to see Kaz holding the blade embedded in his chest. Kaz withdrew the sword and he twitched before staggering backwards. His face was filled with shock. He knew he was dying. "No…" he said. "THIS CAN'T BE! I WANTED MY REVENGE!" The blood gushed out of his wound and he collapsed to his knees. "They told me I would succeed," he said. "How can I lose?" Those turned out to be his last words as he disintegrated in front of the group. Instantly, the Skull Soldiers turned to dust just like their lord. Even his sentries withered away.

Simone let out a sigh of relief. Their ordeal was over. Now they could relax.

That's when the suits disappeared in a flash of colored light. They looked down to see their regular forms again almost as if they didn't recognize themselves. _Well done,_ a voice called to them. _You fought well. We wish to fight alongside you once again. Until then… _Their phones began to glow in their respective colors. However, the group didn't know why.

"Let's get back to the hotel," said Kaz. The others nodded and they all went back to the hotel.

The hotel was a scene of confusion. After they defeated Vortigern the Skull Soldiers had disappeared and now they were left to wonder just what in the world had happened. "There you are!" Mr. Harris said as they walked back in the hotel. "That Vortigern fellow was looking for you, and we've been wondering just what happened! Give me an explanation!"

"We hid in the woods," Kaz said. Technically it was true.

"Well, at least you were safe," he said. "I think it is best we go back to Orlando after this, call of the rest of the trip. It's almost over, anyway."

"Fair enough," said Simone.

"Perfectly fine with me," said Kaz. "I didn't want to be here, anyway." Javier just sighed in exasperation while Kaz walked past.

"I just don't understand you," he said.

"You had the perfect time to understand me!" Kaz replied. Simone, Jen and Richard just sighed, shook their heads and facepalmed as the two argued on their way back to their room. But then again, a little sense of normalcy was fine after what just happened. Even an argument between roommates was fine.

"Hey guys," Richard said as they caught up with them. "Should we tell anyone about this?"

"Probably not," said Kaz. "I don't think they'd believe us, anyway."

"He's right," said Jen. "I mean, a bunch of college students freeing a bunch of stone swords and turning into superheroes and beat a 1500-year dark lord? I doubt it, too."

"I just want to get home now," said Richard. "I'm glad I don't have any fights scheduled for the coming weeks."

"I think I'll ask my dad to help me with my longsword fencing," said Kaz. "I'm a little rusty."

"I was wondering how you got so good with that," said Javier.

:-:-:-:-:

"Blast! I _knew _unsealing Vortigern was a terrible idea! The man may have been a good ruler, but he was so full of himself and so ineffectual!"

"So what do we do now?"

"What do you think we do? We go after those who killed him and kill them, too!"

"But how? We don't know where they live."

"We'll find them. A fairy has their ways, after all. They think they're done? They don't know what they've just unlocked."

:-:-:-:-:

_My apprentice, it is time. You must wake up._

"I'm awake. What is it?"

_The Caliburn Swords have been freed by five people from a faraway land. You must follow them and guide them._

"Me? Why not you?"

_I left this task in your hands. I know you can handle it, my apprentice._

"Thank you, master. I will find them and I will guide them to the best of my abilities."

:-:-:-:-:

Days later, the group boarded a plane at London's Heathrow Airport on a flight back to the States. The rest of the trip was canceled like Mr. Harris said would happen. Kaz sighed as he sat back in his window seat, grateful to be going back home. "Finally," he said, "Feels great to be going back home. And I'll get to see Yumi again. I thought I'd never see her again."

"For some reason I'm glad you said that," said Javier.

"Obviously," said Kaz. "I just want to put this behind us and never speak of it again."

Unfortunately for Kaz, his adventure wasn't over. Instead, it was just beginning.

:-:-:-:-:

End chapter

So, how did everyone like that? I hope it was good.

Anyway, about the suits. For now, I'm thinking of a Shinkenger/PR Samurai inspired outfit. I might change the design, though. If someone could design some suits, that'd be great.

Also, check out "Power Rangers GPX", parts 1 and 2. The difference between that one and this is GPX is a more sci-fi story and this one is fantasy.

Thanks for reading!


	3. Enter Nimue

Power Rangers Mystic Knights, episode 3:

_Two months later…_

He slept soundly. It wasn't really surprising though, since Kaz could sometimes be a deep sleeper. But since it was a Sunday (specifically the Sunday before Labor Day), he could sleep in without much problem. He actually looked peaceful while sleeping and not a slob like many a college student trying to catch a few "Z's". Okay, he is a bit of a slob, his comforter and sheets messed up. But, other than that, he looks like an angel… if he believed in those things. His room was actually pretty neat for a college student. But then again, it is early in the semester.

It was hard to imagine just two months ago he was wearing a silly, red-colored spandex suit fighting monsters called Skull Soldiers and the long-sealed ancient British warlord Vortigern. Had he not been on that golf outing, things would have been way different and he would have been taken hostage just like their classmates. Instead, he ended up running into some nearby woods with four others and happened upon some stone swords. Well they pulled them out, they turned into real swords and they became superheroes or something like that. But now, he just wanted to get some sleep.

Of course, you know how college students are.

An air horn snuck in there right near his ear. He slept soundly, oblivious to what was about to happen.

_**BEYOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRNK! **_

Kaz practically jumped out of bed like a cartoon character, falling on the floor. His ears were ringing loudly and they hurt so damn much. He couldn't even hear Javier laughing at him as he struggled to recover from that very rude awakening. Rubbing his ear, he alleviated some of the pain on the outside but the ringing on the inside wouldn't go away. Eventually he did see Javier laughing at him and in a fit of understandable rage, he got up and attacked Javier. "You fucking ASSHOLE! He shouted. "I could have gone deaf because of that!"

"Chill out dude!" Javier stupidly replied. "It was just a joke!"

"I could lose my hearing no thanks to you!" He shouted as he tried to punch Javier. Javier kept laughing as Kaz ran him out of the room and into the kitchen of their apartment in the Towers at Knights Plaza. Their roommate watched in shock as the two took their scuffle into the kitchen. He already had enough.

"Hey! Cut it out, you two!" He said. Kaz, who had Javier in a headlock, looked at his roommate and then let go of Javier. "What did you do this time, Javier?"

"I blew and airhorn in his ear," he said. The roommate sighed in annoyance and shook his head with his face in his hand.

"You idiot," he said. "Javier, you're going to blow his hearing out if you do that."

"You're no fun anymore," said Javier. He said this while Kaz went back into his room while rubbing his ears. Javier was going to be the death of him.

He took his time showering and getting dressed. He didn't need to worry about it, since there were no classes today. When he got out he walked over to the little shrine on the shelf in the kitchen. He clapped his hands and held them together, bowing and saying a silent prayer to the gods and his ancestors. He ignored Javier and their roommate and concentrated on his prayer. Javier had tried to convert him to Catholicism during their freshman year but Kaz turned him down several times. Eventually he had to put Javier in a head lock and Javier agreed to stop. Of course, that was early in the school year and Javier eventually came to tolerate his roommate's Shinto beliefs.

Kaz finished his prayer and went straight for the cabinets, looking for breakfast. The cabinets were filled with a standard college student breakfast—cereal. The choices were Lucky Charms, Frosted Flakes or Chocapic (cereal from Mexico). Frosted Flakes it is. The sound of corn flakes filling the bowl was the only sound in the 4-person apartment. The 4th roommate was nowhere in sight. He's probably asleep.

Breakfast was mostly eaten in silence, save for the clanging of spoons on the bowls and soft chewing. Their roommate (whose name was Taylor) was reading, which was part of his homework assignment. Kaz didn't have any homework for Labor Day weekend, so he didn't read, and neither did Javier. The silence was not uncomfortable. It was just the silence of a morning where neither of them had anything to talk about. Kaz did get a text from his girlfriend Yumi Nakajima though, which kind of distracted Javier and Taylor. The text said that she was busy (kind of strange on a Sunday) and wouldn't be able to spend time with Kaz for the day. Don't worry, she'll make an appearance.

Eventually, one of the doors opened and the fourth roommate made his debut. He walked over to Taylor and wrapped his arms around his neck. That's right, they're gay. He played with Taylor's spiked hair until they heard Kaz and Javier clear their throats, telling them to knock it off. Neither of them are homophobes or against homosexuality, they just don't want to see that. Of course, if they bring a girl (which includes Yumi) in they can't make out with her in the kitchen, so the rule goes both ways.

"I'm gonna go wash my eyes out now," said Javier.

"I think I'll go to the Student Union," said Kaz. "I think they're open now."

"Aw, don't leave!" said Taylor's boyfriend. "There's always room for more!" He's teasing them. He knows Kaz loves Yumi so he's not going to try and seduce him. He only teased him like that to get a reaction out of him. "Besides, why don't you just go to Barnes & Noble, they're much closer!" Of course, Kaz wasn't all that happy and just walked out of their apartment.

Being September in Orlando, it was pretty hot. Kaz realized Taylor's boy toy must have been right in suggesting he go to Barnes & Noble instead of going to the Student Union. In fact, that's exactly what he did, turning towards Barnes & Noble instead.

Getting into the bookstore felt very refreshing. It's bloody hot out there, so any air conditioning would be fantastic. He already had his textbooks, so why would he get them? Might as well look at some _manga_. Heading over to the _manga _section, he came across a familiar sight. "Aren't you Richard Lewis?" he asked.

Richard turned around. "Kaz McDonough," he said, "Fancy seeing you here."

"Same to you," said Kaz. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for some more Arthurian books," said Richard. "I don't have enough."

"I see," said Kaz. "You're obsessed with that stuff. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get some _Zelda _stuff." He walked away and Richard shook his head at Kaz.

Browsing the _manga _section, he saw some pretty crappy titles so he left and went to the literature section instead. Just because he's a borderline otaku doesn't mean he can't like some good books. Checking out the Mark Twain he got a little distracted. But then again, that's the point of going to a bookstore, getting lost in the sheer number of books there are. Anyway, he was browsing the literature section when he felt his phone go off. Thinking it was Yumi, he took it out of his pocket. He was surprised to see the text message say,

"COME."

He reacted with confusion. The phone didn't say who it was from. He turned on his text and wrote, "WHO ARE YOU?" Seconds after sending the text, his phone chimed again.

"FIND ME AND YOU WILL SEE," it said. Then he got another text, showing some directions. "LEAVE THE CAMPUS." Okay, now this was weird.

Looking around, he decided to leave. He left, tugging the bill of his Dr Pepper ballcap over his face and left the bookstore. He did not notice Richard follow him, a confused look on his face, too.

He walked over to the parking garage where his car, a Toyota Prius, was. He thought he was alone, until he noticed Javier. "What are you doing?" He asked.

"I was about to ask you the same thing," said Javier.

"I'm going off-campus," said Kaz. He wasn't about to say he got a strange text, there was no way.

"So am I," said Javier. "I just got a strange text that said, 'COME'."

"You too?" Kaz asked. He wanted to stop himself, but the cat was out of the bag. Javier knew that he got the same message.

"You want to take the same car?" he asked.

"Sure." They both got in, Kaz driving and Javier giving directions. They left the campus, following the directions that the text messages gave them. The messages were mysterious and in the form of riddles. Including them all would be insane. But, we can provide an example. "What does it say now?" Kaz asked.

"It says, 'get off on the Drive of the World and go to the Drive that is at the Center of the World. What the hell does that even mean?"

"Drive of the world?" Kaz asked, trying to confirm the question. Javier nodded his head and Kaz tried to think about what it was talking about. It can't mean Disney World, since the Central Florida Greenway doesn't even go to Disney World. It had to be—"International Drive!"

"International Drive?" Javier asked.

"It's the only option," said Kaz. "And Center of the World has to be World Center Drive."

"So we have to get off at International Drive?" Javier asked. "What exit is that?"

"Probably exit 6," said Kaz. "We probably have to merge onto World Center Drive."

"Okay," said Javier. "If you ask me, we shouldn't be driving for so long."

They got off, took the exit to International Drive and merging onto World Center Drive. They followed the cryptic directions a little more, trying to get to wherever the hell they were going. It was difficult taking the time to decipher the clues, anyway. When they got to the Irlo Bronson Highway, the text read, 'FIND THE WHITE CASTLE'.

"White Castle?" Kaz said. "There's no White Castles here!"

"I don't think they mean the restaurants," said Javier.

"Well then what do they mean, the only White Castle in this area I can think of is—" Suddenly, his face became one of realization. "You have got to be kidding me."

"What?" Javier asked.

"I can't believe it," said Kaz.

"WHAT?" Javier practically shouted. It was then that Kaz pointed at a large, white-colored structure that even Javier had to recognize. "You have got to be kidding me. Medieval Times?"

"It's the only explanation," said Kaz.

"You gotta be kidding me, is it even open?" Javier asked.

"There's only one way to find out," Kaz said as he parked the car, unbuckled his seatbelt and got out, Javier following. Walking up to the big building, they noticed some familiar faces. "Jen? Simone? Richard? What are you doing here?"

"I don't know," said Jen. "We got some texts telling us to come here." Kaz and Javier looked at each other, realization hitting them. "You got them too, didn't you?"

"Yeah," said Kaz. "What is this, some kind of promotion? If it is, it sucks!"

"This is no promotion," said Richard. "I don't think any of us signed up for text alerts. If we did, it would have been just ticket deals instead of directions."

"Can we just go in?" said Simone.

"Okay!" said Kaz. "Come on, let's get inside."

Walking up to the entrance, they had a slight feeling of nervousness. If the place was closed, then it wouldn't really matter. Of course, there was the problem of if they did get in the building; wouldn't they be arrested for trespassing or breaking and entering? Wanting to be sure, Kaz slowly reached for the door. He looked behind him to silence any attempts to make him go faster. This thing needed to take time. He gripped the door handle, took a deep breath and effortlessly opened the door. Well, that was easy. He turned to the rest of the group, shrugged, and walked in, the others following.

Inside, they marveled at the medieval objects on the walls. There was also a recreation of a medieval village, but that wasn't staffed at the moment. Kaz looked at some swords and Richard got a glance of some nasty-looking axes. To make it seem like they hadn't been brought by mysterious text messages, Simone went looking for the restrooms. It's a good idea.

"Excuse me!" Sure enough. An employee came out to confront them. "What are you all doing here?"

"We were just driving back from a day trip," said Kaz. "Our friend is in the restroom." Right on cue, Simone stepped out, pretending to wash her hands.

"Alright then," he said. "Just don't stay too long." With that, he left, leaving the group alone.

"Jeez," said Javier. "We almost got in—WHOA!" He lost his footing and tripped against the wall. Well, whatever happened he must have pressed something because a door opened right near him.

"Where did that come from?" asked Jen.

"I say we find out," said Kaz. Jen rolled her eyes and followed him. Richard, Javier and Simone followed.

The stairway was dark and dingy, like an old castle or cave. A soft glow could be seen at the end of the tunnel, most likely from candlelight. The group continued down the stairs until they reached the room they were going to. Their collective jaws dropped when they saw what met them.

It was a spacious room. The floor had a triple spiral symbol carved into it. There was a good-sized cauldron at the head of the room. It was filled with several strange and mystical-seeming items. A closer look at the floor showed what seemed to be minor scorch marks or something like that. A book filled with strange print was opened to a page showing a dragon on it. There were knives, chalices, wands, staffs, all sorts of magical items.

"Looks like some kind of ritual space," said Jen.

"How do you know that?" asked Simone.

"Just a guess."

Kaz didn't really pay attention to them and just looked around. He wondered just how something like this could be under Medieval Times and no one would ever notice it. That's when he came across a hooded figure. Noticing the figure, the others also recoiled. "How are you?" He asked.

The figure turned around. They couldn't see their eyes until a pair of arms came out from the sleeves and pulled the hood down.

The group was amazed when they saw her. She wasn't much older than they were. She had sort of a pale complexion. She was stunning, enough that Jen was envious of her looks (Simone was not). Her brown hair flowed down her back and her green eyes stared at them, framed by a slender face. "What are you doing here?" She asked, almost in an accusing manner. "This is a sacred chamber. I suggest you leave."

"Um, we were brought here by strange text messages," said Kaz. "I was wondering if you knew anything about them." The girl's face turned from angry to jovial in that instant.

"Oh, you got my messages!" She said. "I've been waiting for you."

"Okay, that's nice and all, but who are you?" Simone asked as the girl walked over to the cauldron.

"Oh, I do apologize if I seem rude," she said as she removed her cloak. Her white dress was certainly old-fashioned, as it looked like it was from the 6th to the 10th Centuries AD. Her figure was petite. "I suppose I must introduce myself. My name is Nimue."

"Nimue?" Richard asked. "Are you the Lady of the Lake?" Kaz elbowed him in the side.

"No," she said with a laugh. "You're thinking of someone else."

"How the hell can she be the Lady of the Lake?" Kaz asked. "She's our age, she can't be 1600 years old!"

"Oh, you'd be surprised," said Nimue. "Don't you remember fighting Vortigern?"

"How do you know about that?" Jen asked.

"I saw it," she said. "Come to the cauldron." They walked over to it and she gestured for them to look into it. There, replays of their fight with Vortigern played in the water. Just how they were seeing this was another question.

"I thought we had put that behind us," said Javier.

"You can't put it behind you," she said. "When you pulled the Caliburn Swords—don't say anything, just remember the cauldron—you chose your destiny."

"Destiny?" Jen asked. "What are you talking about?"

"First off, I must explain to you who I am," said Nimue. "I know who you all are, so it's only fair I tell you who I am. Like I said, my name is Nimue. If that name sounds familiar, then it should. My master was a very famous wizard and druid. Who he is, I'll lead you to that."

"So what do you want?" Richard asked.

"Be patient," she said. "Stonehenge wasn't built in a day." The group shrugged at each other at the strange analogy. Nimue chanted an incantation in some strange language. The cauldron began to glow and suddenly, several colored lights burst out of the cauldron and into their phones. They looked to see a new App in the apps menu.

"Knight Phone?" Kaz asked. "What is this, a new UCF phone service?"

"No," said Nimue. "Those will to be to access your transformation device; your 'morphers', if you will."

"Morphers?" Richard asked. "What for?"

"To become Power Rangers," said Nimue. The others looked at each other. They were confused and it was obvious just looking at their faces.

"What's a Power Ranger?" Kaz asked.

"Come to the cauldron again and I'll show you," she said. The group gathered around and peered into the cauldron.

Suddenly, images flashed in the liquid. Costumed superheroes jumped and fought against strange enemies. The images changed to other teams with different costumes. The group was amazed at the images they saw. They looked almost exactly like their costumes they wore in Caerleon! Then, they saw other images of the people transforming.

_It's Morphin' Time!  
_

_Shift Into Turbo!_

_Let's Rocket!_

_Go! Galactic!_

_Lightspeed! Rescue!_

_Time For Time Force!_

_Wild Access!_

_Ninja Storm, Ranger Form!_

_Dino Thunder, Power Up!_

_SPD Emergency!  
_

_Magical Source! Mystic Force!_

_Overdrive, Accelerate!_

_Jungle Beast, Spirit Unleashed!_

_RPM, Get In Gear!_

_GPX, Start It Up!_

"That was Maria!" Simone said, "My Venezuelan friend, Maria Aparicio, she was in that GPX one! What's she doing?"

"Ah," said Nimue. "You recognize one. That is an alternate universe. There are several universes that contain Power Ranger teams. That was one of them."

"What the hell is this?" Kaz asked. "That can't be real!"

"Oh, really?" Nimue asked. "I forgot to tell you who my master was. He was a great and powerful wizard. You may know him today as…

Merlin."

"Merlin?" Richard shouted. "That's impossible!"

"The Chicago Cubs winning the World Series, that's impossible," said Nimue. "Yes, I've had enough time to catch up on baseball. But a person like me living magically for 1600 years, that takes some powerful magic."

"So, you're… from…"

"Yes, my master was an advisor to King Arthur himself," Nimue said, cutting Javier off.

"But Nimue was the name of the Lady of the Lake!" said Richard. Really, he's an expert at this, and all he can think of is her name?

"There's more than one Nimue," she said.

"But you sealed Merlin away!"

"A doppelganger did that," Nimue said in a defensive tone. "I have been framed! But this is not the most important part. I must tell you what you all need to do. Then you can leave."

"What do you want from us?" Kaz asked.

"I want you to become Power Rangers," she said. "And save the world from Morgan Le Fay."

"And if we refuse?"

"The choice is yours," said Nimue. "But if you do, then not only will the city be destroyed, but the world will be as well. Do you want that on your minds?"

"No," said Jen, her voice shaking.

"How do we know you're not bullshitting us?" Kaz asked.

"I just showed you images of other Power Rangers," said Nimue.

"But those images could have been faked," said Javier.

"The fight in Caerleon was not," said Nimue. "The swords gave you the power to transform into Power Rangers; you just have to tap into that power again. The Knight Phone application will transform your cell phones into your Knight Phone morphers. Then you will be able to fight Morgan and her allies."

"Morgan Le Fay?" Richard asked for confirmation.

"Yes," said Nimue. "She was never killed and thus she's remained in this world for centuries. Of course, he power was diminished after the final battle between hers and Arthur's forces, but she's been regaining power, if that battle with Vortigern holds any indication."

"Waitwaitwaitwait," said Kaz. "You mean Vortigern wasn't our main enemy?"

"No," said Nimue. "He was simply unsealed by Morgan Le Fay. My master had sealed him away. Vortigern was but a test, and you all passed it easily."

"A test?" Kaz asked.

"Well, sort of." That didn't help.

"I'm not doing this," said Kaz. "I think this is crazy."

"Me too," said Richard.

"I'm in." They turned their heads in Jen's direction.

"You're in?" Simone asked.

"I don't want to die knowing that I could have done something to stop Morgan le Fay," said Jen. "What do we do?"

"You can't do this alone," Nimue said, looking at the others. Jen also gave them the same look; a look of disapproval. It certainly worked on Kaz and Simone. The dominoes had started to fall.

"I'll do it," said Kaz.

"So will I," said Simone.

"Count me in, too," said Richard. That just left the last domino, Javier. And he was still reluctant to do it. "Javier, just say yes."

"Fine!" He said. "So now what do we do?"

"Nothing yet," said Nimue. "The enemy has yet to attack, so there's no reason to really worry at the moment."

"Oh, that's good," said Kaz.

"But if an emergency ever arises, then I will contact you," she said.

:-:-:-:-:

Morgan le Fay; yeah, she's the villain. Somewhere under Orlando was her lair. It was a more menacing version of the ritual space that Nimue had. Of course, it was also bigger, too, more the size of an actual throne room than a small ritual hall. A cauldron was in the middle of the room, filled with a green liquid. The floor was covered in crusted blood. There were swords and knives all around. A triple spiral was on the floor, carved into the stone. A green glow filled the room.

At the end of the hall was the throne of Morgan herself. She sat on the throne but not in the usually way. She was spread over both armrests, her back resting on one and her legs on the other; the "slouch of villainy", as it's called. She wore a revealing dark dress, which revealed some cleavage. Her black hair flowed down her back, even hitting the floor. And yes, she was sexy.

"Mordred!" She called. Her son soon appeared in the throne room.

"What is it mother?" He asked. Mordred was supposed to be dead, right? Well, Morgan revived him. Wearing a more modern, Prussian-esque military uniform, Morded stood before her. He had dark hair much like her and equally pale skin. Living underground for centuries does not do well for the complexion. He had green eyes, too, and pale skin aside, was pretty handsome.

"I'm tired of waiting for action," she said lazily. "I think it's time to announce ourselves to these modern humans."

"How so?" Morded asked.

"How do you think?" She said. "We attack!" She said this while making a grand gesture like a Shakespearean ham.

"I should have known," said Morded.

"Call Gwydion," said Morgan. "We need a monster to attack this city. In fact, I'll call him now. GWYDION!" A column of light appeared next to Mordred and a man dressed in wizard's robes appeared next to him.

"What is it, my queen?" he asked. Gwydion, as mentioned previously, was dressed in wizard's robes. They were black but had purple trimmings here and there. His long black hair went down to his waist and his green eyes looked to Morgan. He carried a wooden staff with a green ball at the top. Although Morgan was also a magic-user, he was the one who created their monsters.

"I need a powerful monster," she said, "One that will alert modern humans to us."

"At once, my queen," he said before disappearing.

"When do we attack?" Mordred asked.

"We attack when the monster is ready," said Morgan. "Old Gwydion just _loves _to take his time with those monsters—as long as it's better than his unsealing of Vortigern. That egotistical weakling was a bad idea from the beginning."

"Do you think he'll betray us, though?" Mordred asked.

"I doubt it," said Morgan. "I gave him some powerful faerie magic. It's hard to break a spell like that. Now where's Maleagant?"

"He's training the soldiers," said Mordred.

"Oh, yes, I forgot. Commander of our army," she said. "Tell him to have our forces ready by tomorrow, which I believe is when the monster will be ready."

"Yes, mother," said Mordred. "How will people react to us, though?"

"As long as it's with fear," said Morgan, "Although I have grown a fanbase since then (thank you Marion Zimmer Bradley). But they will be in for _such _a disappointment when they see me."

"How so?" Mordred asked.

"Sixteen hundred years of listening to people call me a villain has changed my outlook," she said. "I kind of like being the villain. It's much more fun than being the," she switched to a faux-angst-ridden tone next, "poor, misunderstood Morgan who's a victim of those overbearing, nasty men. Ugh, that's not fun! Plus, being the villain inspires more _fear_!"

"I see," said Mordred. "Although I'm not sure what _The Mists of Avalon _is about."

"It's the general mindset," said Morgan.

"The monster is ready," Gwydion suddenly said as he re-entered the throne room.

"Really, now?" Morgan asked with an interested tone. "That was faster than I expected."

"I had been working on that monster for some time," said Gwydion. "I just found the time to finish it."

"Oh, well. Good for you for being prepared," said Morgan. "I suppose I have to address our forces now."

:-:-:-:-:

"Do you actually think we're going to fight?" Javier asked as the group left Medieval Times.

"I don't know," said Richard. "I'm not even sure if Nimue is really what she claims to be."

"How so?" Jen asked.

"Because Nimue is the name of the Lady of the Lake," said Richard. "Not some girl who—"

"That's not what I meant!" Jen shouted.

"Oh, I see," said Richard. "I don't know, she might be an actor for all I know."

"Then how did we see those guys in the cauldron?" Kaz asked.

"That could not be fake," said Simone. "I think she might be what she says she is."

"Right," said Javier. "There's no way anyone's going to attack us."

:-:-:-:-:

"The time to attack is nigh!" Morgan bellowed to her troops, called Ghoul Soldiers. "Sixteen hundred years of waiting has come to an end! You will CRUSH everything in your path! You will DESTROY and KILL! You will not stop in the face of defiance! You will CRUSH IT! Now go and DESTROY!"

The Ghoul Soldiers bellowed and howled. Then, at the command of their leader Maleagant they turned and marched out to attack the city. "I shall accompany you," said Morgan. "I want to make sure our forces actually succeed."

"Yes, my queen," said Maleagant. He wore the same uniform as Mordred, but had long brown hair that was tied into a ponytail. He looked older than Mordred, too (Mordred appeared 19, Malegant appeared 23) and had blue eyes. "The humans will not stand a chance."

:-:-:-:-:

The Ghoul Soldierss surfaced in downtown Orlando. As soon as they emerged they began attacking. People in the street ran for cover as the Ghoul Soldiers attacked. Chaos reigned as the Ghoul Soldiers wreaked their havoc upon Orlando. The police showed up to fight back, but they were only armed with pistols that bounced off of the armor of the Ghoul Soldiers. They turned their attention to Orlando's finest and attacked, making them retreat.

After a few minutes, Morgan, Mordred and Malegant appeared. "ATTENTION!" She called. "I am Morgan le Fay! And this IS MY CITY!"

:-:-:-:-:

Nimue's cauldron began to boil. The magician girl was startled before realizing who it was. "No!" She said as she looked in the cauldron and seeing Morgan le Fay. "I was afraid of this," she said before calling the group.

:-:-:-:-:

Kaz's phone began to ring suddenly. Confused, he reached for it, even noticing Javier reach for his phone. Something was up. "Hello?"

"_Rangers," _said Nimue. "_The city is under attack! You have to fight!"_

"_Fat chance!"_ said Richard. "_How do we know you're not lying?_

"_Do I sound like I'm lying?" _She scolded. She certainly sounded urgent. "_Turn on the radio, then, if you don't believe me!"_ Kaz shrugged and turned on the car's radio.

"_Downtown Orlando is under attack!_" said the announcer. "_The National Guard is on its way. The attackers are described as resembling Orcs from __The Lord of the Rings__ movies."_ Kaz's eyes widened instantly.

"How are we going to get there?" He asked. "We're 20 miles from downtown!"

"_I can teleport you," _she said. "_Hold on_." Suddenly, the car began to glow and Kaz felt himself being teleported to downtown Orlando.

:-:-:-:-:

To be continued

P.S.: I kind of like the idea that Morgan le Fay embraced her role as a villain instead of being misunderstood. It's not a swipe at feminism (I respect feminism) it's simply for the sake of this story she embraced her villainous role.

And I also hope you liked that little tribute to Power Rangers. By the way, GPX is mine, not anyone else's.


	4. It's Morphin' Time!

Power Rangers Mystic Knights, episode 4: It's Morphin' Time!

:-:-:-:-:

"This is not your city, Morgan le Fay!" Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer declared. "I don't know what you're thinking, but I'm not giving this city up!"

"Ugh, _why _does everyone want to do it the hard way?" She said, lounging on her throne. In Morgan's defense, Dyer was bound (but not in a sexy way) by Ghoul Soldiers and not in much of a good position to be defiant. Of course, Dyer had a good reason for being defiant; he wanted to stall so the National Guard would get there on time. And Morgan had no idea of this development. She thought she had him by the throat. "Although it is so endearing that you wish to delay your death by being defiant. I salute you, O Defiant Mayor!"

"Flattery will get you nowhere," said Dyer, "Especially if you're being sarcastic."

"Half-sarcastic," said Morgan. "Now are you going to surrender or not?"

"No," Dyer said defiantly.

"Aw, he's so cute trying to be the brave mayor!" Morgan said half-fawningly. "Trying to delay the inevitable is just so _adorable_!" Mayor Dyer was wondering if Morgan was actually serious with her fawning over him. "Good news! I have decided not to kill you! I will make you my _adorable _pet!"

"I doubt that's better," said Mayor Dyer.

"You'll still be able to live," said Morgan. "You won't need to worry. Oh, by the way; Maleagant!"

"Yes, my queen?" the general asked.

"How are our forces doing?"

"We've occupied all of downtown and are preparing to spread out to the rest of the city."

"Excellent!" She turned to Mayor Dyer and said, "Your foolish stalling will have to end soon. Soon, this city will be mine!"

"It won't be yours anytime soon," said Dyer.

"Why is that?" By now Morgan was starting to suspect Dyer was hiding something. Indeed he was, and he was doing a good job of it. Her affable attitude dropped. "Maleagant!"

"What is it?"

"We have incoming! Dyer called the National Guard; they'll be here any moment!"

"I'm on it!" Maleagant replied. He shouted some commands in his ancient language to the Ghoul Soldiers. They stopped attacking the civilians and withdrew and formed a defensive formation. Several Black Hawk helicopters flew over head while the Ghoul Soldiers, in a futile effort, shot them with their arrows. Several humvees showed up and formed a perimeter, keeping the Ghoul Soldiers in said perimeter.

Then the Guardsmen started shooting. Although they were able to pin the Ghoul Soldiers down, the bullets just bounced off of the Ghoul Soldiers' armor. Dyer watched in disappointment while Morgan simply sighed in exasperation. "If you still won't surrender," she said. "Then I shall show you my true power."

Dyer watched as Morgan got up from her throne and walked over to confront the Guardsmen. The shooting stopped and they looked confused at what was going on. "Get out of here!" One shouted. However, she did not move and instead held up her hands. The soldiers watched confused while le Fay closed her eyes and began to chant.

A ball of energy appeared in her hands. The soldiers knew what was going on and started running, but she finished her incantation and threw the ball at them. The ball exploded and the ones not caught up in the blast were sent flying as the on-lookers screamed and gasped in horror. Le Fay brought her hands down, laughing evilly at the destruction she just caused. The Ghoul Soldiers, Mordred and Maleagant laughed along. Le Fay walked back over to Dyer. His face was filled with horror at the sight he just saw.

"Now do you doubt me?"

At the same time, the heroic group felt themselves being warped to downtown Orlando by Nimue's magic. It was almost like being stretched. It stopped short of a painful stretch but could certainly be felt. Then they found their cars driving into downtown Orlando right in front of City Hall. They pulled the cars over and out of sight. They got out and gathered together.

"So now what?" asked Javier.

"I think we should hide our faces," said Richard. "We—oh, hello." Metal masks appeared in their hands. It was pretty obvious what they had to do.

"Alright," said Kaz. "We should sneak up on them. It's a bad idea to come in from the front."

"Got it," said Jen.

"Got it," said Simone.

"Understood," said Javier.

"I understand," said Richard. Kaz nodded his head and pulled the mask over his head while the others did the same.

Moving quickly and quietly, they snuck past the police barricade. Their stomachs were tied in several different knots as they snuck past. The Orlando Police were more concerned with the Ghoul Soldiers getting out than they were with a bunch of college kids sneaking in. Of course, the Ghoul Soldiers were trying to take over.

Richard found a sentry Ghoul Soldier and snuck over to him. He put him in a choke hold, covering the Ghoul Soldier's mouth. It didn't take long for the sentry to be completely knocked out and the group continued on. "They look like orcs," said Javier. "You know, from _Lord of the Rings?_"

"Be quiet!" Jen whisper-shouted.

The butterflies multiplied and the knots got tighter. Now they were really in the belly of the beast and surrounded by Ghoul Soldiers. They were everywhere; their jagged armor and strange swords were their most distinguishing features. They were ugly, too, with blackened teeth and hideous faces. No two were alike. Their stench was overpowering and it forced Jen to cough. One of them turned and noticed them. He roared and the other Ghoul Soldiers noticed them. They were caught.

"Excuse me!" said Kaz. The group began to fight the Ghouls as best they could even with the armor.

Kaz first escaped the melee for some open space. Then the Ghoul Soldiers attacked. He ducked as one Ghoul swiped at him and then blocked the next one coming at him. He punched the Ghoul right in the face, in the opening of its helmet. He ducked, avoiding a Ghoul sword. Spinning around, he side kicked one of them into a crowd of Ghoul Soldiers. All that armor weighed them down and they fell down in a heap. The roar of a Ghoul Soldier alerted him to his rear and he ducked to avoid the enemy and it too crashed into that pile of Ghoul Soldiers.

As for Javier, his fight was far more difficult. For starters, punching armor is not a good idea. Javier got that message and instead used his foot instead to shove the armored Ghoul Soldier to the ground. He grabbed the arm of a Ghoul Soldier that had swung its sword at him and he struggled to keep the sword from his face. He let go, stepped out of the way and the Ghoul Soldier fell to the ground. With a chuckle, he round house kicked one of the Ghouls in front of him and knocked it to the ground. He blocked the punch of another Ghoul and went back to fighting.

Richard's fight wasn't as bad as Javier's, but it was difficult as he too found out the hard way that punching armor is not a good idea. But as a grappler/mixed martial artist, he grabbed one of the Ghoul Soldiers and shoved it to the ground. He got up and tossed another Ghoul to the side and side kicked an onrushing Ghoul, right into a crowd of them like Kaz did earlier. One sword came awfully close to his head and he bent backwards to dodge the blade. Said blade cut the throat of one Ghoul behind him. A quick look behind him and he went back to fighting.

"What's this, then? A li'l girl?" Simone naturally took that as offensive and kicked the Ghoul in the chin. She made a 'bring it' gesture and the Ghoul Soldiers rushed her. However, she was able to hold her own, kicking them all away from her. There were only a few of them since most were distracted by the guys. She threw them to the side, each crashing into each other. She kicked one in the chest and it fell to the ground. She grabbed one by the armored collar—careful of the edges—and threw him into one of the buildings; although she regretted causing damage.

The Ghoul Soldiers watched in confusion as Jen bowed; and then kicked one of them right in the chin. The Ghouls chased after her, but were weighed down by their armor—notice a pattern here?—and could not catch the agile ballerina. It's pretty obvious she was doing the best out of all five, making the Ghoul Soldiers look like complete morons. She danced around, stopping only once. She spun on her left foot, kicking each Ghoul Soldier that came near her. That is, until she stopped. Kicking armor is not a good idea. But she did punch one in the face.

A good distance away, Morgan le Fay heard the Ghoul Soldiers fighting and turned her attention to the fight. She saw the group fighting the Ghoul Soldiers and realized their perimeter had been breached. "Maleagant!" She shouted. "What's going on?"

"Looks like some of the Ghouls are fighting civilians," said Maleagant. "Don't worry, I'll handle them."

"My Queen!" Gwydion said, coming out of nowhere. "The monster shall lead them." Morgan smiled evilly.

"Well then," she said. "Let the monster fight." Gwydion nodded his head, turned around and waved his arms. A monster with the head of a goat appeared. Morgan 'ooo'd' in interest. "What is that?"

"Baphomet," he said. "I saw a picture of a fake god and I decided to use it."

"Oh, Gwydion, that's amazing!" said Morgan. "Now kill them!"

"Yes, my Queen! Bahpomet, take some Ghoul Soldiers and kill those intruders!" Baphomet howled, gestured to some Ghoul Soldiers and rushed the group.

It didn't take long before they knew something was wrong. For starters, the growing number of enemies is the obvious answer. Second, there's the increasing difficulty of the fights, as shock troops are much tougher than sentries, at least in the case of the Ghoul Soldiers. Kaz found himself being tossed around by Ghouls and Javier the same. Richard was knocked to the ground and Simone was, too. Jen was grabbed and held by several Ghouls.

They did get free, however, and ran from the crowd of Ghoul Soldiers that was chasing them. Chased by the Ghoul Soldiers they tried to get to the police perimeter but more Ghoul Soldiers stopped them right there. "Oh, crap!" Kaz shouted. The group changed directions immediately and ran towards the SunTrust Center, only to be confront by a goat-headed, bat-winged humanoid… thing.

It growled and drew a sword. The thing charged them and they prepared for impact. The thing barreled right through the group, knocking them all to the side. They got up, but it came back. It picked Kaz up and tossed him to the Seaside Plaza. It grabbed Javier and tossed him, too. It whacked Richard and knocked him to the Plaza and simply held up its hands to knock Jen and Simone down.

All five of the group was down. The laughs of a strange woman could be heard as she walked over to them. She looked at them and shook her head. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. How unfortunate," she said. "Isn't he cute?" She said, going over to the creature. "His name's Baphomet. My magician Gwydion saw him in an old book and just HAD to create him!"

"Who are you and why are you attacking the city?" Kaz asked.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry, I'm being terribly rude," she said. "I am Morgan le Fay! And I am here to take over this WORLD!"

"Morgan le Fay?" Richard asked. "You mean the one from Arthurian Legend?"

"Oh, you know who I am!" She said. "But enough of that. Why would some kids like you try to stop me? And why are you wearing those masks, they're _so _tacky! Here, let's get them off." She waved her hand and the masks disappeared from their faces. "Hmm, I'd expect the people trying to save their city to be older. I wonder who—" She quickly dodged out of the way when a magical blast exploded near her.

Morgan ducked out of the way just in time while the punks she just took down watched. "Who did that—why, Nimue, what a pleasant surprise! What are you doing here? It's been far too long, hasn't it?"

"Not long enough," said Nimue.

"Oh, that's too bad," said Morgan. "I assume you remember what happened to ol' Merlin, don't you?"

"Don't talk about that!" Nimue shouted, creating another magical ball that she threw at Morgan.

"Ghoul Soldiers, you like them?" Morgan asked. "Much better than Skull Soldiers, especially since Skull Soldiers are so weak and—" Nimue almost blasted her, alerting her not to be too confident. Morgan cackled evilly and conjured up a dark ball of energy that she threw at Nimue.

The group took cover as the explosion threw up some dirt. They watched Nimue chant some words and began to swirl the dust around and it eventually turned to mist that covered up the area. The mist was thick enough that Morgan could not break through.

"Why can't you do more of that?" Kaz asked as Nimue helped him up. The others got up on their own.

"Because my magic isn't strong enough right now," said Nimue. "This is your fight. You have to use the Knight Phones; it's your only chance."

"But how do we use them?" Javier asked.

"I must apologize for not telling you," said Nimue. "Activate your Knight Phones Applications. Then, press the numbers 3-3-5, press 'Talk' and shout, 'Mystic Knights, Power Up' and you will be transformed. Kazuma—" She placed her hand on his shoulder. "You have to lead them."

"Why me?"

"You were the one who lead them in Caerleon," said Nimue. "You have what it takes to be a leader. Now lead." Kaz looked at her, then to the group. Then he nodded his head. Nimue stepped away and waved her arm. The mist dissipated and the group saw the Ghoul Soldiers gathered around Morgan le Fay.

The group lined up in front of the Ghoul Soldiers like this: From left; Richard, Jen, Kaz, Simone and Javier. "Come back for more?" Morgan asked. "Or do you need Nimue to save you again?"

"This isn't my battle Morgan," said Nimue. "They are the ones who will fight you."

"Really?" Morgan asked, laughing. "How?"

"Like this!" Kaz shouted. The group pulled out their cell phones. "KNIGHT PHONES, READY!" They turned on their Apps and their phones transformed into gold flip phones. They pressed the numbers 3-3-5 and pressed Talk.

"_MYSTIC KNIGHTS, POWER UP__!" _

There was a flash of blinding light. For the Ghoul Soldiers, who hate really bright lights (despite being out in the Central Florida sun) shielded their eyes from the light, Morgan too. "Damn!" She said. "What—" She stopped mid-sentence when she saw the group standing proudly in front of her. Only they weren't exactly the group she remembered.

Unlike last time, their suits were changed. The torsos were colored as were the legs. The girls still wore their skirts and metallic grey legs. But the arms were colored a metallic grey like chain mail with the same white-colored gloves and black boots. The helmets were the same, but the heraldic symbols were now framed by a shield. "WHAT IS THIS? WHAT ARE YOU?"

"We're Power Rangers!" Kaz shouted back. "Red Dragon Knight!"

Richard: "Blue Lion Knight!"

Javier: "Green Griffin Knight!

Simone: "Yellow Bear Knight!"

Jen: "Pink Lynx Knight!"

Kaz: "We fight with the power of Camelot,"

All: "_Power Rangers; Mystic KNIGHTS!" _They posed together and there was a multi-colored explosion behind them to emphasize their announcement. Nimue smiled, pumped her fist and silently cheered.

"THEY defeated Vortigern?" Morgan shouted. "No matter. BAPHOMET!" Baphomet growled. "Take the Ghoul Soldiers…" She made a grand gesture with her arm at the Rangers. "AND KILL THEM!" The Ghoul Soldiers roared and charged the Rangers.

"Caliburn Swords!" Kaz called as the group drew the swords from the left-hand sheath. The swords glowed before materializing; they were actually magically shortened like the Quasar Sabers in _Lost Galaxy_. Then, they charged the Ghoul Soldiers and engaged the enemy.

Kaz flipped over the Ghoul Soldiers and swung his Red Caliburn Sword, taking out three of them. He ducked and then slashed at another Ghoul's armor. Now that he was armed, he had the chance to actually kill them. He kicked the two in front of him into a pile of Ghouls and swung downwards. Then he spun and kicked at the same time to take out a couple of Ghoul Soldiers who rushed in. Holding the sword like a baseball bat (he's right-handed, by the way) he took a swing and took out four Ghoul Soldiers in front of him. Then he spun like his favorite video game character and killed a whole bunch more of Ghoul Soldiers. He stabbed and swiped at another one before moving on.

Leaping through the air, Javier crashed into a pile of Ghoul Soldiers and again knocked them to the ground. With his light spandex armor and their heavy metal armor, there was no way they could fight him like this. He parried the sword of one Ghoul Soldier and countered with a stab. Then he ducked while drawing the sword out of the Ghoul's body and tripped the offending Ghoul. Once the sword was drawn, he hacked away at one Ghoul's arm. It bellowed as he took it off. With the Ghouls swarming him, he simply fought harder. He swung the sword at one Ghoul but the sword was parried. No matter, as he simply kicked the Ghoul in the chest and into a crowd of Ghouls.

As for Richard, he fought more physically than Kaz and Javier. Winding up, he struck the Ghoul right in front of him, knocking it to the ground. He wound up his sword and slashed a pair of Ghouls before kicking them down. He grabbed one of the Ghouls and shoved it into a group of Ghouls and charged them like a football player. Once they were all down, he parried the sword of a Ghoul Soldier, kicked it and finished the job with his sword. Then he jumped out of the melee and challenged the Ghouls. They obliged, charging at him but he beat them away one by one, not giving an inch. The Ghoul Soldiers went down one by one and Richard ran towards Baphomet.

Though it was difficult, Simone had little trouble with the Ghoul Soldiers she fought. Slashing at the Ghouls, she pivoted on her left foot and cut down Ghoul after Ghoul. Now re-energized and strengthened by the armor she wore, she tore through them. She kicked a Ghoul into a pile of Ghoul Soldiers like so many times before and again, the weight of their armor slowed them down. She leapt over the Ghouls and when she landed she blocked a Ghoul sword with her Yellow Caliburn Sword, holding the blade with her left hand. She threw it off and slashed at the Ghoul that had just attacked her. She ducked! And then she stabbed the Ghoul that tried to backhand her head.

Like before, Jen bowed before the Ghouls rushed her. And again she made them look like complete morons as she danced around them like the agile ballerina she was. No matter how big or cunning the Ghoul Soldier's weapon was, they had no chance to lay their hands on her. She landed on her toes and leapt when the Ghouls rushed her. They crashed into each other and fell into a pile of heap. Then she held the sword with both hands and struck, taking some out. Of course, there were others who kept at her. She leapt out of the way and landed gracefully, which the weighed-down Ghoul Soldiers could not do. They bellowed and attacked her but she brought all of them down.

"I should not have underestimated Nimue," said Morgan. "Those Rangers were better than I thought. Right, Nimue?" Nimue threw a ball of magic energy at Morgan, which the evil sorceress blocked and then threw at her. However, Nimue deflected the magical blast and recoiled when she saw Morgan draw out a staff. "Yes, I've got some new toys!" Morgan shouted. She pointed the green ball at the end of the stick at Nimue and started chanting. Nimue held her hands together and chanted, too, and a ball of energy formed in her hands.

"DIE!" Morgan fired the large ball of energy she created at Nimue. The good sorceress realized that she could not do anything about this large and powerful ball but tried anyway.

Luckily for her, Kaz got in the way and deflected the blast with a backhand with the Caliburn Sword. Nimue sighed in relief while the other Rangers gathered in front of her. "Protecting your lady, huh?" Morgan asked sarcastically. "How touching. Just like those Round Table idiots!"

"Just ignore her," said Nimue.

"Way ahead of you," said Kaz.

"I'll distract her for you," said Nimue. "Then you can get to her."

"If you think I'm going to let you do that, you're mistaken," said Morgan. "BAPHOMET!" The monster appeared next to her. "Why didn't you attack them earlier? GET THEM!" Baphomet bellowed, beat its chest and charged the Rangers. It lowered its head to ram them.

"Hold your ground," said Nimue. They braced for Baphomet's impact, all five of them. They gripped their swords tight and spread their stances out to brace. Baphomet charged into them and sent them flying like bowling pins. "That was not what I had expected," said Nimue. "Rangers, get up, quickly!" She threw a ball of magic at Baphomet to keep the goat-headed monster at bay while they got back up.

"Right, got it," said Kaz. It hurt a little bit, but using his sword he was able to get up. There needed to be something done about Baphomet and Kaz had a pretty good idea. "Alright, let's just go for the offensive."

"Sounds like a good idea," said Richard. "For now, anyway."

"Let's get 'im!" Kaz shouted, gripping his sword with both hands and charging Baphomet. The other Rangers followed suit and charged him as well.

However, Baphomet had other ideas and summoned some more Ghoul Soldiers. "Again?" Javier shouted. But they pressed forward and when the Ghoul Soldiers charged them, they fought back. Kaz slashed each Ghoul Soldier left and right. He spun around, taking them out. Richard tossed them aside, letting them fall. He ducked and stabbed at another that came from the front. Javier did the same as Kaz, swinging at whatever came his way. He ducked as a Ghoul Soldier tripped over him. Simone also swung freely, hacking away. Her blade met the flesh of the Ghoul Soldiers. While Jen danced around each of the Ghouls. It was the same old story with them.

Kaz finally got out of the Ghouls, jumped and swung his sword at Baphomet. The goat-headed monster drew its own sword and parried Kaz's strike. Kaz landed 10 feet away, crouching down. Richard rolled forward and thrust the blade in Baphomet's direction. The monster parried that strike, too, and even Javier's attack.

Jen and Simone were more difficult since they were fighting in tandem. Jen locked blades with Baphomet while Simone slashed Baphomet in the back. The monster grabbed her sword, roared (how can a goat roar?) and threw her to the asphalt. "Simone, you okay?" Jen called.

"I'm fine!" Simone replied. Baphomet raised his sword and Simone rolled out of the way just as the sword hit the asphalt. Javier jumped on Baphomet's back and latched on to the monster's neck. It bellowed and tried to throw Javier off. But it gave Simone time to recover and she gripped the sword's… grip. Anyway, she wound up and slashed Baphomet in the chest. The monster bellowed and flailed around more and Javier was thrown off.

Immediately Kaz and Richard leapt in and thrust their blades at Baphomet. Sparks flew and Baphomet was sent flying towards the façade of the SunTrust Center with Richard giving chase. Baphomet staggered to its feet right as Richard got to it. It tried to block but the Blue Ranger ran along the wall and launched off the wall delivering a powerful kick to Baphomet's snout.

The monster got back on its feet and blocked Kaz's sword. However, Kaz pushed it off, jumped and roundhouse kicked the monster in the snout.

The monster charged up the star on its forehead and fired a beam at the Rangers. They scattered and Jen and Simone flipped over to Baphomet. The two Rangers jump kicked the monster in the chest, knocking it down. Baphomet stood up, only to meet Javier's fist.

Baphomet recovered and parried Kaz's strike. It punched Kaz and backhanded Javier. Richard was harder to knock down and he just blocked Baphomet's swipe. Jen danced around Baphomet but even that wasn't enough and Baphomet knocked her down. However, Simone grabbed his arms and the Rangers took turns slashing at the monster.

"Come on, goat face, is that the best you can do?" Kaz taunted right before fighting again,

On the sidelines, Nimue and Morgan had turned into boxing coaches urging their fighters on. With each blow the Rangers landed on Baphomet, Nimue cheered. "You brainless beast!" Morgan shouted. "You have wings, don't you? USE THEM!"

Baphomet got the message and spread its bat wings. A couple flaps and it took off, leaving the Rangers on the ground. "You just _had _to say it, didn't you?" Simone scolded.

"Guys, we can't fight!" said Richard. "We need a way to beat that thing!"

"There is a way," said Nimue. "But I'll need your help."

"Mordred! Maleagant!" Morgan shouted. "What are you doing standing there?"

"You never told us to do anything, mother," said Mordred.

"I DON'T NEED TO TELL YOU TO DO ANYTHING, NOW GET THEM!"

"Yesmyqueen!" Maleagent spat out as he and Mordred ran towards the Rangers.

"I should be able to bring Baphomet to the ground. But you have to—"

"Forget it, we've got company!" Richard said as he readied for Mordred and Maleagant. Those two fought with Richard and Javier, leaving the girls and Kaz.

"I was not expecting that," said Nimue.

"It certainly throws a wrench in our plans," said Jen.

"Not quite," said Nimue. "Jen, press the numbers 2-6-9 and press 'Enter'."

"Two… six… nine… Enter. Whoa!" The sword she held glowed pink and turned into a bow with some arrows.

"I want one!" said Kaz.

"So I just have to shoot that thing?" Jen asked.

"You've already figured it out," said Nimue. With Richard and Javier still fighting Mordred and Maleagant, they had some trouble with Baphomet, especially when it fired a beam from the star on its forehead at the Rangers.

"Okay, that's fine and dandy, but did you forget what to do?" Simone asked when they gathered.

"No," Nimue replied. "We just need to change our strategy. Kaz, do you think you can help?"

"How?"

"Just do as I say," Nimue said. Then she turned to Mordred and Maleagant, brought her hands up and began to chant. A pair of energy balls appeared and when they were big enough, she threw them both at Mordred and Maleagant. "Jen, now!"

"Got it!" Jen replied, notching her arrow in the bowstring. She drew and fired the arrow just as Nimue's energy blasts hit Mordred and Maleagant, sending them flying. The arrow hit Baphomet and the monster fell to the ground. It staggered to get up and the Rangers rendezvoused with each other.

"Kaz, it's time to finish this," said Nimue. "You know what you said last time?"

"Yeah," said Kaz. "Dragon's Fire!" The blade burst into flames.

"Lion's Water!" The blade was surrounded by water.

"Griffin's Wind!" A tornado spun around the blade.

"Bear's Earth!" Leaves and dirt this time.

"Lynx's Spirit!" Nothing. "Um, what happened?"

"Just say energy instead," said Nimue.

"Lynx's Energy!" The blade turned into a lightsaber. Jen smiled underneath her helmet.

"Let's finish this!" Kaz shouted. "KYAH!" He and the others charged at Baphomet, and then leaped in the air. Kaz swung first, and then Javier, then Richard then Jen and Simone swung at a tandem. Baphomet could do nothing and bore the brunt of the attacks.

The Rangers landed behind Baphomet and posed in victory as Baphomet erupted in a shower of sparks, then fell to the asphalt and exploded.

"YES!" Nimue cheered and pumped her fist in celebration.

"NO!" Morgan had her hands on her head. She looked like she was going to have a breakdown. "I have a HEADACHE! THIS ISN'T OVER, RANGERS!" She, Mordred and Maleagant teleported away. The bystanders, who were ignored for the most part, cheered and applauded the Rangers on their first real victory.

:-:-:-:-:

At Medieval Times, the Rangers celebrated with a goblet of wine and a big ol' chicken leg for each of them. Okay, not wine, Nimue's not going to get arrested for serving alcohol to minors (She's physically underage, too). Instead, she served Richard the wine and gave the four younger Rangers some Pepsi. "_CHEERS!_" They said as all four goblets clinked together and the Rangers took a sip of their drinks.

"Morgan's gonna think twice now before she messes with us!" Kaz said.

"I doubt she'll even come back!" said Javier. Just then his chicken leg burst into flames. They looked to see an annoyed Nimue.

"Don't say that," she said before extinguishing the fire. Strangely enough, it still looked fine. "This was just one battle. Morgan won't be deterred by this one loss. She'll be back to counterattack. You need to be on your guard. And never be too complacent even if it's a while between battles. But, I suppose," she held up her Pepsi-filled goblet. "It's time to celebrate!"

:-:-:-:-:

In Morgan le Fay's lair, Mordred and Maleagant were nervous to talk to her. After the loss she went on a tirade and frightened every single creature and faerie in the lair. This was far worse than any temper tantrum thrown by a two-year-old or a Tea Party member (ba-dum-tsh!).This tirade was enough to scare these two. You don't want to get in the way of a powerful sorceress when she's beyond furious. And now she had called them in to her throne room to talk to her. "You go first," said Mordred.

"I'm not going in!" Maleagant replied. "What if she kills us?"

"There's only one way to find out," said Mordred. "Go right in!" Instantly, he pushed Maleagant into the throne room much to his protests.

However, when they came in the throne room, it was relatively calm. The only evidence of Morgan's tantrum was the mutilated bodies of Ghoul Soldiers and black blood on the walls. They both nervously walked to her throne and kneeled in front of her. "You called for us, my Queen?"

"Yes, Maleagant," she said calmly. "Oh, don't be surprised, I calmed down ten minutes ago."

"The whole lair was terrified mother," said Mordred.

"I suppose I did let my anger get the best of me," said Morgan. "But it's not going to happen again. That was just a little slip. Now that we know what Nimue has against us, we can better prepare for her. And I suppose we should plan better. Nimue's little 'Rangers' won't know what hit them." The throne room was soon filled with Morgan le Fay's diabolic laughter.

:-:-:-:-:

End chapter


	5. The Order of Avalon

Power Rangers Mystic Knights, episode 5: The Order of Avalon

:-:-:-:-:

When superheroes first appear, there's always going to be a storm of news about the event. In every superhero movie you'll see, the hero is always noticed immediately by the press and the public, especially if this is the first appearance of superheroes called "Power Rangers". The news swept through Central Florida and the rest of the country like a wildfire in a dry prairie (that analogy was used in _GPX_). Witnesses (some who weren't even there, some who were telling the truth) told their stories to the news and expressed their astonishment. Many of the ones who lied were eventually caught.

However, for the Rangers themselves, they didn't really get caught up in this firestorm. Why not? Well, remember these are college students. They can't really get too caught up in their own celebrity because they had to worry about their next paper or exam. Also, no one saw their faces before they morphed, so there was no way for them to be identified either by witnesses or on camera (Nimue's magic is still good enough to do that).

Life continued for them after their first fight with Morgan le Fay. The following day was Labor Day. It was a good day to have off, and they pretty much took advantage of that. Tuesday they went back to class.

It was hot, naturally, it's Central Florida. Kaz wiped his brow as he walked to class, and most of the class buildings were south of the massive Student Union. But it was easy to get to them because of the layout of the campus, which is a series of concentric circles (I have another story that takes place on the UCF campus, it's called _Jimmy & Kyo_, and so you'll find some more there).

The campus was crawling, and it only makes sense since it's got the second-largest student body for any university in the country. And now the fun facts will end. It'd be difficult to find someone in this campus, but Kaz had a rare experience

Of finding someone he recognized.

After class was over, he was on his way to the student union to get some lunch and meet up with Yumi. He didn't see her yesterday (again!) and was eager to hug that girl. He was delayed though, when he bumped into someone on the way to the Student Union. At first, he just uttered a quiet, 'sorry' before they stopped him, grabbing his shoulder. Now Kaz is the kind of person who really doesn't like getting into fights unless he has to. It's called discipline and he's something of a pacifist. "Um, please don't do this," he said. "I really don't want to fight."

"Then apologize for bumping into me," the girl said.

"Okay then, I'm sorry!" He said. "What else do you want me to d—Nimue?" He said as he turned around.

"Kazuma?" The 1600-year-old girl was just as surprised. However, she was even more surprised when Kaz grabbed her elbow and dragged her away from the sidewalk. Sure, grabbing a girl by the arm is pretty clichéd and implausible, but Kaz had a pretty strong grip for a guy his size (although he was being gentle as possible) and Nimue was too surprised to resist as he took her to a spot where he suspected no one would hear them.

"What are you doing here?" He asked with a harsh tone. He's not interested in her romantically (remember, he has Yumi).

"I felt I needed to take a more active role in this battle," she said. "So I decided to enroll at UCF."

"But how—"

"My magic may not be very powerful, but it's still good enough to forge documents and the like," she said with a smirk. Kaz slapped himself mentally, remembering she had some magic.

"And you're here to…"

"Keep in touch with all five of you. And go to college." She certainly looked the part wearing the kind of clothes a 21st century girl would be wearing.

"Sure," he said. "Um, I have to meet with my girlfriend, so I can't exactly stay and chat."

"Why can't I come with you?"

"Because I love Yumi and I don't want her to think I'm cheating on her."

"Then I have a good remedy for that," she said. "I'll just try and introduce myself to you and her and try to become her friend."

"Well, she'll love to be your friend," said Kaz. "Alright, I'm going to the Student Union. But please don't follow me."

"What about following from a distance?"

"Sure, whatever works," he said as he turned away and headed for the Student Union.

Sitting in the center of campus is the massive UCF Student Union. Here we will finally meet Yumi, Kaz's girlfriend. Kaz entered, surrounded by the students coming in to either get something to eat, find a place to study or just hang out. Just like any other student-oriented building on any college/university campus. Avoiding the large Pegasus seal on the floor of the atrium (UCF students have a superstition that if they step on the seal they will not graduate) he looked for Yumi, then figured she may be sitting down to eat.

He got his lunch and looked around the dining room for his _Nisei _girlfriend. Eventually he found her… talking to Nimue? Lady must be good.

"Oh, hello Kazuma!" Yumi said as he approached their table, holding his Subway bag. "I just met this girl, her name's Nimue!" Was Nimue even _trying _to be subtle?

"Hello," Nimue said as if to pretend she didn't know him. "My name is Nimue Jones. I know, I get a lot of questions about my name." Then again, she seems to have thought this out.

"It's a pleasure," Kaz said as he sat down next to Yumi, giving her a kiss on the cheek. Yumi is not beautiful. Rather, she's cute and pretty. She had brown highlights in her hair and Kaz noted that she looked like a J-Pop singer. Her hair also had some bangs. Unlike Kaz, who is quarter-Japanese, she's full-blooded Japanese, more of that coming later. Her temperament will also be described later—or just demonstrated. She also had some lighter skin (like that matters in real life).

"Yumi was just telling me about you," said Nimue. "But I'd like to hear more about Yumi."

"I'd love to talk," said Yumi, her voice soft and warm. "Where are you from?"

"Cardiff, Wales," said Nimue.

"Cardiff? Kaz was in Caerleon this past summer," said Yumi.

"What a coincidence," said Kaz. Of course, he sounded a little sarcastic but Yumi didn't notice it.

"Oh, that's nice," said Nimue. "Have you ever been to Britian?"

"No, but I wish I could go," said Yumi. "I've been to Japan, though."

"Oh, really? What's that like?"

"It's amazing. I loved it so much; I can't decide what my favorite part was."

"I thought you liked the countryside," said Kaz. He'd gone with her.

"I did," said Yumi. "But I loved all of Japan."

"I see," said Nimue. "You loved it so much you don't want to pick a favorite."

"Yes, that's correct," said Yumi.

"What superheroes do they have?" Nimue asked.

"They have this franchise called _Kamen_ _Rider_," said Kaz.

"And _Sailor Moon_," said Yumi. "I love that show and comic!"

"I love it too!" said Nimue. "Who's your favorite character?"

"Usagi, of course!" said Yumi.

"What does this have to do anything?" Kaz asked.

"Oh, I'm sorry," said Nimue. "You know about those Power Rangers, right? Have you heard of them before?"

"No, I never have," said Yumi. "Until Sunday, that is. I saw them on the news. I was surprised to see them. Was that spandex they're wearing?" Kaz stifled a laugh and Nimue had to stop herself from making a face that would have given her identity away. Luckily she restrained herself.

"They just sound like vigilantes," said Kaz, insulting himself as well. "Why not let the police or National Guard handle crises?"

"Well, the people on the news did say that the police and National Guard didn't stand a chance," said Nimue. "Those Power Rangers were able to drive those monsters away."

"Okay," said Kaz. "But I still don't think violence is the right answer. They should have at least tried to talk to whoever that was."

"I doubt they had a choice in the matter," said Nimue. "Well, I have to leave, I have class soon. It was nice seeing you two. I can already tell you two are perfect for each other."

"Thank you," said Yumi. Nimue got up and left, leaving the two lovebirds alone. "She's so nice. I'd love to be friends with her."

A short time later, while leaving class, Kaz and Simone ran into Nimue again, who also happened to be leaving class. "Nimue?" Kaz asked.

"I need to talk to the both of you," she said. She seemed very serious. Neither were quite sure why.

"Can it wait?" Simone asked. "I have a rock in my sole and I—"

"_NOW_." Okay, that got their attention. They followed her to a possibly secluded spot. "You need to come to Medieval Times later today," she said.

"Why?" Kaz asked. "I've got homework to do."

"You can do that later," said Nimue.

"What's so urgent?" Simone asked.

"I need you to meet someone," said Nimue. "It's very important. Tell Javier, Richard and Jennifer you need to get to Medieval Times tonight."

"But that's 40 minutes-slash-miles away!" said Kaz. "I don't want to waste my gas, why did you pick that place, why not pick somewhere closer to campus?"

"Take the LYNX Light Rail!" She said, referring to the light rail/tram service that exists only in this story (although it is possible that could change over the years). "Or carpool, just get there!"

"There's no changing your mind, is there?" Simone asked.

"Nope," said Nimue. "And Kaz, if you're going to insult the work you do, make sure you give me a good reason why instead of acting smugly."

"You really think I'm smug?" Kaz asked as she walked away. Simone shrugged and walked away, leaving Kaz to wonder if he really was smug.

:-:-:-:-:-:

"I hate carpooling," said Javier. You can probably guess which route they decided to take. Although it wasn't too bad, they were taking Richard's (mom's) minivan. Javier rode in the back between Simone and Jen. Kaz rode shotgun.

"Why don't you quit bitching and take the LYNX rail?" Jen asked.

"Because I don't know if it goes anywhere near Medieval Times," said Javier.

"That's not a good defense," said Jen. "If you want an excuse, just say it takes too long. Or just look at a map!"

"Why don't the both of you shut up?" Kaz asked, rubbing his face.

They couldn't get there fast enough. By the time they arrived, Kaz and Simone pretty much jumped out of the minivan right as Richard pulled into the parking spot. Carpooling with these Rangers is not in your best interest. Kaz, the girls and Javier went in first while Richard turned the van off. Unlike last time where they were a little unfamiliar with what they were doing there—oh wait, they still weren't sure what to do. So they waited in the lobby for a few minutes before an agitated Nimue burst in. Richard followed soon after.

"For the last time, I am not the bloody Lady of the Lake!" She said. "You're thinking of someone else, now follow me, Rangers." She's tough.

So they followed her to the main arena. The arena was dark, apparently for no reason. Dressed in her cloak (or as Kaz called it, 'Wiccan threads'), Nimue stood in front of the Rangers. "Good afternoon," she said.

"Get on with it!" Javier shouted.

"Ugh, do you _have _to be so impatient?" Nimue asked.

"Sorry about him," said Kaz. "He lacks discipline."

"You're the one who's addicted to _Zelda_!" said Javier.

"SHUT IT!" Nimue shouted. "You need to take your jobs seriously. And to do that, you need help. So, I have called upon allies who have existed for centuries in secret."

"Are they all geezers like you?" Jen asked.

"No, they are not," said Nimue. She clapped her hands and the lights came on, revealing men dressed in knight clothing, kneeling down like many images of knights.

"Great," said Jen. "We're going to be trained by the guys at Medieval Times. Whoop-dee-do."

"Rise," Nimue said, not even turning to them. They rose and immediately Kaz recognized one of them, more specifically, the red-clad one.

"John? John Kramer?"

"Kazuma? What are you doing here?" He asked.

"Yeah, I know him," said Kaz. "My dad knows him."

"Kazuma's dad is an instructor in German longsword fencing," said John.

"I didn't know that," said Javier.

"Why do you think I'm so good with a sword?" Kaz asked incredulously.

"So who are you guys?" said Simone.

"They are members of the Order of Avalon," she said.

"Order of Avalon?" Richard asked for confirmation.

"Correct," said Nimue. "They trace their lineage to the days of the Round Table."

"So I assume we're going to get a history lesson?" asked Jen.

"Correct," said Nimue. "John, do you care to explain?"

"Certainly," he said. "The Order is a chivalric order, like the Templars, the Hospitallers and the Teutonic Knights. Only we don't actually fight unless needed. The Order was established by the remaining members of the Knights of the Round Table. It was founded after the final battle with Mordred and Morgan's power was weakened. They swore that they would not disband so long as Morgan still existed and they would train the ones who pull the Caliburn Swords. We have existed since then."

"So, are Ren Faire lovers members of the Order?" asked Jen, "Because this looks like fantastic cover."

"Some," said John. "Some medieval lovers are members of the Order, some aren't. Some people who are not medieval lovers are members of the Order."

The green one stepped forward. Unlike John, who had long black hair, he had shorter hair. "As members of the Order of Avalon, it is our duty to train you so you are prepared for when Morgan le Fay and her forces attack. We will _not _go easy on you. We don't care if you already know these arts; we will instill them in you."

"Oh boy," said Simone.

"Swordsmanship, horseback riding, hand-to-hand combat; you name it, that's what we'll be doing," said the green-clad guy. "We will teach you how to defend yourself against the enemy."

"What about French taunting?" Javier piped up.

"Who said that?" The green-clad man shouted. The rest of them pointed at Javier. "You think this is funny?" He said, getting in Javier's face. Javier shook his head.

"What about catapulted cows?" Kaz asked. The green guy glared at him.

"And killer rabbits?" asked Jen.

"And knights who say 'ni'?" asked Simone.

"NI!" said Kaz.

"What is all this?" Nimue asked, not even getting what they're talking about.

"Um, they're talking about _Monty Python and the Holy Grail_," said Richard. What? Did you actually expect me _not_ to mention _Monty Python_? Nimue facepalmed while the other knights sighed in exasperation.

"Please take this seriously," said Nimue.

"We are," said Kaz. "We just wanted to have some fun." And yes, there will be more _Python _shout-outs as the story goes on.

"Okay then," said Nimue. "Just please don't take this too lightly."

"Do we get the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch?" He asked. Nimue sighed again. They just didn't get it.

"Argh, just drop it," said Nimue. "You will be getting new weapons as time goes by. In fact, we have some new weapons for you to use, we just don't know where they are."

"What are they?" asked Javier.

"You know those symbols on your chest?" Nimue asked. "Those aren't just for decoration. They are symbols for your greatest weapons."

"What are they?" Kaz asked.

"You'll see," said Nimue. "We need to find them first."

"You can't even find them?" Kaz shouted.

"We will," said Nimue. "We need to find them before Morgan le Fay."

:-:-:-:-:-:

Well, that gives us a good time to segue to Morgan herself. Slouching on her throne, she was devising a scheme to take out the Rangers. It would have to be good, hard and nasty. The people of Orlando would be frightened when they saw this. It certainly seemed difficult. And if it failed, she needed a back-up plan. Well, she engineered the downfall of Camelot; there's no reason she can't think of something.

She got up and walked over to her cauldron. Throwing a few ingredients in, she started to chant. A purple glow filled the room while she chanted. The cauldron liquid began to boil and she looked at what was in the liquid. She smiled; she had her weapon. "GWYDION!"

"What is it, my queen?" He asked as he materialized in her room.

"I found Nimue's pets," she said. "I'll take control of them and you make me a monster if I need it."

"Yes, my queen," he said as he faded away from Morgan. She went back to the cauldron. She threw some more ingredients in her brew and began chanting in an ancient language.

:-:-:-:-:-:

Downtown Orlando had moved on from the attacks on Sunday. It just seemed like a bad dream to everyone else. It was a nice day out, close to 80 degrees, a nice September day. They wanted to put this behind them and forget about it. Surely that madwoman wouldn't return… right? Well, this is Power Rangers, so that answer is a resounding "No".

Suddenly, the sounds of flapping wings were heard. A businessman looked up to see the sun blocked by a large monster flying over the city. Wait, two mon—three! Four! FIVE! The people started running. These monsters flew and ran through the city, terrorizing the citizens. They were dark colored, to show their corrupted nature. There was a giant lion, a bear a lynx and… a griffin? And a dragon? The dragon landed on the SunTrust Center and roared. It was a four-legged dragon this one. The citizens screamed and ran.

Back at Medieval Times, things were starting to wrap up when someone ran into the main arena. There was urgency on his face. He ran up to Nimue and whispered in her ear. "Isn't that the guy we say on Sunday?" Simone whispered into Javier's ear. Nimue's eyes widened in shock and she gestured for the Rangers to follow her. They did and followed her to her ritual space.

"Oh, no," she said when she got a look at the situation.

"What are those things?" Kaz asked.

"Those are your new weapons," she said. "They're called 'Zords'. You use them to fight larger enemies."

"What happened there?" Jen asked.

"Morgan must have gained control of them," said Nimue. "Quick, there is no time to lose! Morph and I'll teleport you downtown. Do it!"

"Got it!" said Kaz. "Knight Phones!" They pulled them out, turned on the App, and pressed 3-3-5 and TALK.

"_MYSTIC KNIGHTS, POWER UP!" _In a flash of light they vanished from the ritual space, transported to downtown Orlando.

That instant, they arrived in their Ranger suits, landing on the roof of one of Orlando's skyscrapers. Naturally, they saw the zords running amok throughout the city. They weren't quite attacking, but they were scaring everyone. "That's not good," Javier deadpanned.

"How are we going to stop those things?" Kaz asked.

"You won't!" A voice shouted from behind them. Turning around, they were confronted by Morgan le Fay and a lizard-like monster.

"Oh, crap!" said Kaz.

"You think this will be easy?" She said. "You're not getting the zords that easily. Ghoul Soldiers, get them!" The Ghoul Soldiers rushed the group and engaged them before they could draw their Caliburn Swords.

Since there were only about 20 of them, they were easy to take down. Kaz ducked, blocked the Ghoul Soldier's punch and roundhouse kicked back. He elbowed the next one in the chest.

Javier twisted to dodge his opponent and ducked as the other Ghoul rushed in. They collided with each other and Javier fought the next guy.

Richard didn't need to do much. All he needed to do was one or two massive punches to each Ghoul Soldier. They all fell easily.

As for Simone, she just kicked each of them in the chin. She punched the last one in the face.

Jen danced around line a ballerina. She almost ran into Kaz, but she saved herself before that could happen. She twirled around, kicking each in the face.

"Ugh, why are Ghoul Soldiers so weak?" Morgan asked. All the Ghouls Soldiers were down and the Rangers regrouped. "Forget it. Reptilior!" With that, she teleported away, leaving him to fight the Rangers.

"Got it!" He said as he charged the Rangers.

"Calibu—" Kaz didn't have a chance. With his big right arm, Reptilior slammed Kaz to the ground.

"Kaz!" Simone shouted. Reptilior didn't miss a beat, attacking the other Rangers. Richard though, slammed into Reptilior and held him like a sumo wrestler. This gave them time to get Kaz out of the way of Reptilior. He was able to get up with the help of Simone and Jen.

"I'm okay," he said. "Caliburn—" Again Reptilior attacked them before they could draw their weapons, taking a swipe at all five of them. Simone nearly fell off the roof. But she saved herself and climbed back on the roof while the others struggled against Reptilior. The only one who was actually succeeding was Richard. Richard ducked, blocked and punched Reptilior. He jump-kicked and knocked the reptilian monster backwards, nearly stumbling off the roof. However, he recovered and charged the Rangers.

"I'm not that easy!" he said. He crashed into Richard. Richard braced himself and held the Reptilian monster. By now Kaz had figured out it's _not _a good idea to openly declare you're pulling out your weapon. So, with just a nod of his head the other four Rangers drew their Caliburn Swords.

With Reptilior's hands full, they let loose on the reptilian monster. They slashed with their swords, throwing sparks all over the place and getting the monster to get off Richard. However, Reptilior is no dumb lizard. Reptilior spun around and knocked their swords out of their hands with his tail. Reptilior wasted no time in clubbing Javier with his right arm, nearly knocking him off the tower.

"Dammit!" Kaz growled. Reptilior came for him next. But he ducked and pivoted on his left foot to dodge Reptilior's charge. He side-kicked Reptilior and nearly knocked him off his feet. Jen bounded in, looking to get something. But Reptilior just swung his tail and knocked her to the ground, hard.

"Jen!" Javier shouted as he ran over to her.

"I'm fine," she said as she got back up.

"Kaz, we need a new strategy!" Javier called. "He's too much for us! We should get off the building!"

"I'm not willing to risk that!" Kaz replied, blocking a punch from Reptilior. He punched it, leaving it to Simone. She round house kicked Reptilior. He blocked the kick, though, but she punched him in the snout. "We need the swords," he said to himself.

Luckily Richard still had his. He drew his sword and slashed at Reptilior. Sparks flew and the reptilian monster screamed. The other Rangers had some time. Simone took the initiative, scrambling for the closest Caliburn Sword near her. It turned out to be the Green Sword, Javier's. "Javier, catch!" She shouted as she threw it to him.

"Thanks!" said Javier. "Griffin's Wind!" He wound up and took a swipe at Reptilior. The reptile screamed and staggered backwards, nearly getting to the edge of the building. The dragon zord screamed, reminding Kaz of their real mission.

"Dammit, we need to finish this clown!" He said.

"Fuck it, just knock him off!" said Richard. "Lion's Water!" The sword charged up and Richard took a big cut at Reptilior. The monster was knocked off the edge of the building and fell to the streets below.

"Wow," said Simone. "That's… kind of disturbing."

"We can't worry about that now," said Kaz as he picked up his sword. "We need to take control of those… what did Morgan call them?"

"She called them 'zords'," said Simone.

"Well how do we get control of them?" Javier asked. "Nimue never told us what to do!"

"Well then why don't we ask?" Kaz said as he pulled his Knight Phone out of the pouch on the right side of his belt. He dialed Nimue and waited until the mage answered.

"_What is it?"_

"You didn't tell us how to take control of those zords," said Kaz.

"_Well, to be honest… I don't know how to do it." _Kaz hung his head and sighed in exasperation.

"Well what do we do?" He asked in frustration.

"_Um, why don't you get on top of their heads? That might work."_

"Right," he said as he closed his phone. "Oh well, _BANZAI!" _With little warning, he leapt off the roof of the building for the Dragon zord. His fellow Rangers couldn't do a damn thing to stop him. He easily landed on the Dragon's head. "And he sticks the landing! Okay, so no—WHOA!" The Dragon started to flail its head around, as if it noticed him. Kaz struggled to stay onboard, but its erratic behavior was making that difficult.

Then it flapped its wings and took off. Kaz hung on for dear life while the dragon flew over Orlando. "KAZ!" shouted Simone.

"SOMEBODY STOP THIS THIIIIING!" He screamed, barely holding on by his fingertips.

"He's dead," said Richard.

"_Kazuma! KAZUMA!" _Nimue shouted via speakerphone.

"I'M HAVING SOME DIFFICULTY AT THE MOMENT!" He shouted.

"_I see that,_" said Nimue. Why was she being calm in this situation? "_Try to climb on its head._"

"IT'S NOT AS EASY AS YOU THINK!" He shouted. Although, he thought it wouldn't be too bad an idea to stand on its head. He grabbed onto what looked like foot clamps and put his right foot on the one going forward and his left on the second one. They clamped right into place. Looking at the Dragon's head, he noticed a slot about the thickness and width of his Caliburn Sword. Nothing wrong with trying, is there? He drew his sword, the blade materializing. He positioned it with the blade tip pointing down and holding the grip with both hands. "Here goes nothing." With that, he thrust the blade in the slot.

The Dragon roared and flailed around in the sky above Orlando. It was well above the skyscrapers and one wrong move could send Kaz plummeting to the ground. He held on for dear life as the Dragon thrashed in mid-air. Suddenly, it calmed down and roared in a proud way. Then its color changed from a dull, almost grayish-red to regular shade of red, albeit with some black on the chest. Kaz removed the sword and sheathed it. He felt the most exhilarating moment of his life. He threw his fists in the air like he's Leonardo Di Caprio. "WOOOOOOO HOO HOOOOOO! YEAH, BABY!"

"He did it!" Javier shouted.

Morgan growled in anger. But, she didn't lose her cool. Instead, she started chanting into the cauldron.

"_Guys, it's easy!_" Kaz said through his Knight Phone. "_There's a slot on their heads, thrust the tip of the blade in them!"_"

"Sounds like a plan," Richard said as he closed his phone. "Let's go!" They jumped on their respective zords; Richard on the Lion, Javier on the Griffin, Simone on the Bear and Jen on the Lynx. They took their swords and thrust them in the slots. Just like with the Dragon, they all turned a brighter shade and became docile.

"Aw, this thing's a big sweetie!" said Jen. She giggled when it growled in happiness. The Lynx was mostly white but had some traces of pink.

"So now what do we do," Javier asked as the Griffin flew over to the Dragon. It was green, but had some black in a few places.

"I don't know," said Kaz.

Their answer came just seconds later when Reptilior grew to an enormous size, nearly the size of the buildings. "That's not good!" Richard said, standing on the blue Lion.

"Okay, so _now _what do we do?" Simone asked aboard the yellow Bear.

"_Now__ I know what to do!_" said Nimue. "_Take the triple spirals off of your belt buckle and place it in the indentation on the head._"

They did just that, removing their belt buckles and inserting them in their indentations. The spirals glowed and a compartment opened for the Rangers to enter their zords' cockpit. "This is interesting," said Kaz. It was a cozy cockpit, like something out of _Star Wars._

"_Put the buckles in the indentations on the consol,_" said Nimue.

"Got it!" Kaz said as he inserted the buckle. The consol lit up. The words CALIBURN MEGAZORD flashed on the consol. "Very well, then. Caliburn Megazord sequence, NOW!"

The Dragon roared. Then it landed on one of the building, standing on its hind legs. "Here we go!" said Richard. The Lion and Lynx bounded together while the Griffin landed next to the Bear. Its wings folded in as did its legs and it got down on the ground. So did the Bear. The Dragon leaped in the air and folded up, the head of staying at the top. Its forelegs folded in while its hind legs folded to create connectors. It connected with the Griffin and the Bear; the Griffin forming the right leg, the Bear forming the left. Their heads formed feet.

The Lion and the Lynx bounded to the Dragon and jumped up. Their legs folded in, and then their bodies folded, the heads of each resembling shoulder pads. A pair of fists popped out from the bottoms. The Lion connected on the right, the Lynx on the left and connected with the Dragon. The head of the Dragon contracted and its mouth opened wide, revealing a face that was obscured by a visor, like a Knight. The chest had some black on it, mostly in the shoulders and the same triple spiral on the chest.

"Whoa!" said Kaz. The Rangers were now in the head, piloting the Megazord. Blue, Pink, Red, Green and Yellow pods were occupied by each Ranger.

"That's new!" Morgan said, looking at the Caliburn Megazord. Nimue just tightned her fist and wished the Rangers luck.

"Soyou have a new toy, big deal!" Reptilior shouted. He charged the megazord.

"Um, Richard! Jen! Do something!" said Kaz. Richard and Jen frantically fiddled with the joysticks in front of them. Eventually, something happened and the megazord braced itself for Reptilior. Reptilior slammed into the Megazord and it held its ground. The Rangers struggled to throw Reptilior off. But with the buildings in the way, that would be difficult. So they just threw it off. "We need to fight him without causing damage to the buildings!" said Kaz. "Nimue, do you have anything?"

"_There's a location northwest of downtown that flanks Route 423,_" said Nimue. "_It's grass and trees._"

"Perfect!" said Kaz. "Now let's see, how do we… Ah-ha!" He pulled on the joysticks and the megazord's wings began to flap. It lifted off the ground (surprisingly) and flew off to the northwest.

"Oh, no you don't!" Reptilior bellowed. "Come back here!" He gave chase, just as the Rangers hoped.

Eventually, they landed at the spot Nimue specified. Now they could fight. The Megazord made a "bring it" gesture and Reptilior took up the challenge, charging the megazord. He crashed into the Megazord, nearly knocking it over.

"Stabilize!" said Kaz. The others struggled before the Megazord was able to stop itself right before Reptilior rushed in again. "Come on, give 'im one!" he said. Richard pushed the right joystick forward. The megazord punched Reptilior, knocking him off his feet. "Yes!"

"You filthy humans!" Reptilior shouted. He spun around and swiped at the megazord with that long tail of his.

"Dammit!" said Kaz. "Stabilize!" The megazord righted itself again. "We've gotta catch that tail! Richard! Jen!"

"We'll try," said Jen. Reptilor swung around again and this time the megazord caught his tail. Reptilior struggled, but the megazord held on.

"Let's give this guy a little twirl," said Kaz. The megazord began spinning. With his tail caught by the megazord, Reptilior was twirled around like a hammer. With each successive pass, he roared in distress before the megazord slammed him to the ground. Naturally, this caused a small earthquake, nearly sending some cars off the road. "Let's not do that again," said Kaz. Reptilior got back up and rushed the megazord. He punched it, but the megazord blocked it. It countered with a sucker punch to Reptilior's jaw. "Can we finish this guy?" Kaz asked.

"_Caliburn Megazord Sword_," said Nimue. "_Call for it!_"

"_Caliburn Megazord Saber!_" They called. A sword, with an appearance like that of the Caliburn Swords, materialized in the megazord's right hand. Reptilior attacked, but the megazord parried that attack.

"Let's finish 'im!" said Kaz. "Caliburn Megazord Sword, energize!" The megazord lifted the blade in the air. Then it began to glow in a multi-colored light. Reptilior recoiled in shock.

"_Finish him!" _The megazord slashed at Reptilior. He screamed in agony while the megazord posed in confident victory. He fell to the ground and exploded. The Rangers celebrated inside the megazord. Nimue wiped her forehead in relief. The members of the Order gave the Rangers a round of applause.

"Dammit!" Morgan slammed her fists on the book in front of her cauldron. She growled, frustrated with two straight defeats. "I should have known those damn zords would be returned to the Rangers." However, she began to calm down. "No matter; it's just one defeat. I can still win this in the long run…"

:-:-:-:-:-:-:

End chapter


	6. A Little Subtlety

Power Rangers Mystic Knights, Episode 6:

:-:-:-:-:-:

As she read the _Sentinel _article, Yumi's face showed more and more interest. The article was about the massive animals and robot that appeared in Orlando yesterday. These robots couldn't have been connected to the Power Rangers, could they? She wasn't obsessed with the story; just interested. There's a difference between interest and obsession. This wasn't something that was going to take up her entire life. Why is it not an obsession? Here's why:

"Hey Yumi?" Kaz called from the apartment kitchen. "Can you get the rice for me?"

"Okay!" She said as she got off Kaz's computer and ran into the kitchen. There she took some rice from the cupboard while Kaz worked on some chicken teriyaki. She poured the rice in the cooker, closed the lid and focused on the vegetables. "So where are Javier and your other roommates?"

"Javier went out for the night and Taylor his and boy toy—"

"Boyfriend," she corrected him.

"Sorry, boyfriend," he corrected himself, "Are out on a date. So it's just me and you." He smiled, earning one from her. Damn, she's amazing. Dinner didn't take much longer. The chicken was finished and the rice was done around the same time. Yumi scooped some rice out of the rice cooker while Kaz tossed the chicken and vegetables together. Yumi set up the chopsticks on the table and Kaz brought the chicken and rice to the table, eventually sitting down. Yumi finished up with two glasses of milk. "_Itadakimasu_," he said.

"_Itadakimasu!_" Kaz chuckled. He never really liked saying that loudly, but when she did it, it warmed his heart.

Dinner was quiet, but that's not a bad thing. It was not tense, but relaxed, like these two have been together for a long time (they've really been together for 6 months). It sort of helped that they had known each other before (but only short meetings. They went to different Orlando-area high schools). They ate slowly, just enjoying each other's presence.

"I saw Nimue again today," said Yumi, breaking the silence. "We had a nice conversation. We didn't mention you, though, just our classes."

"I wasn't expecting you to talk about me," said Kaz.

"I know," said Yumi. "Anyway, she told me she's here to study English."

"She's an English major?" She never told him that.

"M-hm," Yumi replied. She had some chicken in her mouth so she couldn't talk. She swallowed. "She really likes this King Arthur stuff. She told me her dad named her Nimue because he likes that stuff, too." Nimue really has a good cover story.

"Aren't we going to talk about things besides Nimue, though?" Kaz asked.

"Sure," said Yumi. "Did you see that big lizard two days ago?" That was not what he was thinking about.

"No," said Kaz. "I heard about it on the news, but I wasn't downtown."

"I was," she said. Kaz's eyes widened. "There were these monsters running amok. I think I saw a dragon and somebody riding it."

"A dragon?" She saw him? "And someone riding it?"

"I just said that," said Yumi. This wasn't what he was expecting.

"Did you see anything else?"

"I didn't see much else," she replied. "We were evacuated by the police."

"Oh," he said.

"We couldn't return until those monsters left," she said. "But then I saw the dragon change colors… and they combined or something."

"Combined?"

"I just said that," she replied. "Must I repeat everything?"

"Sorry," he replied. "It's just a little hard to believe. But you said you saw someone riding the dragon?"

"Yeah," she said, "I saw it on WESH news later on."

"Oh," he sighed. "Wait, WESH?"

"Yeah. They were recording some on-the-street interviews when those things appeared." Kaz was left with an annoyed facial expression. It wasn't at her, but at what she said.

Later, Javier returned while the two were sleeping on the couch. Yumi had her head on Kaz's shoulder. Javier smiled at them. They were so sweet. But, this is Javier we're talking about. He's a prankster and proud of it.

Slowly he reached for a q-tip. Don't ask just yet. He snuck back over to the couch where the lovebirds were sleeping. He positioned the q-tip right at Kaz's left ear, his free one. He chuckled to himself as he slowly maneuvered it in. He was so focused on the q-tip that you can imagine his surprise when Kaz reached out and grabbed his arm. Javier recoiled when he saw Kaz glaring at him with one eye opened. Kaz let go and Javier took the q-tip away. "Don't do that again," said Kaz.

"You're no fun," Javier said as he went back to the refrigerator. "So how did you fall asleep?"

"I think we were watching _South Park_," said Kaz.

"Ah, that's why," said Javier. "Yeah, that puts me to sleep, too."

"What time is it, anyway?"

"It's eleven o'clock."

"Oh, shit!" he said, realizing the time. "I have to wake Yumi up." Gently, he shook the girl sleeping on his shoulder. She woke and she was also surprised by the time.

"Oh, my!" she said. "I am sorry Kazuma; I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"Actually you two looked kinda cute there," Javier joked. Kaz gave him a dirty look but Javier's smile didn't go anywhere. Yumi got up and got ready to leave. She gave Kaz one more kiss before leaving for her room. When Kaz turned around, he saw Javier looking at him.

"What?"

"You two are _way _too lovey-dovey."

"It was just a peck on the lips," Kaz replied. "By the way, she saw us on Tuesday."

"Really?" Javier asked. "Am I supposed to be surprised?"

"Why not?"

"Hel-LO!" He replied. "We were downtown. Practically the whole city could see our little _lio_."

"Right," said Kaz. "I guess I'm just surprised Yumi actually saw us."

"We're superheroes," said Javier. "People are _going _to see us."

"Right," said Kaz. "Good thing she couldn't see us morph."

"She couldn't see us at Medieval Times, that's for sure," said Javier. Kaz gave his roommate a dirty look before going back into his room.

:-:-:-:**PRMK**:-:-:-:

Morgan le Fay sat on her throne thinking about what to do next. The big 'attack-the-city-and-cause-a-big-mess' strategy had already played out. Now it was time to go small. But where to attack; that is the question. She could attack downtown Orlando again. But the police presence was much higher after the first attack. Any one neighborhood could work for her, but where? If there was any intelligence on those Rangers, she could use them. "Maleagant!" She called. "Get in here!"

Instantly, the commander appeared in her throne room. He stood up and looked at her. "What do you wish of me, my queen?"

"What do you know of those Rangers?" She asked.

"We do not know much of them," said Maleagant. "All we know is they are around the ages of 19 through 22. People of their age would be in university."

"That's a start," said Morgan. "Where is the closest university?"

"There are several schools for university-aged people in this city," said Maleagant. "The biggest one is the University of Central Florida."

"Right, anything else?" She trailed off as if to try and lead Maleagant to the same conclusion she'd reached by now.

"Well, there are 50,000 stud—" He was interrupted when she threw a dark energy ball at him.

"That's not what I meant, you idiot!" she shouted. "I meant, why haven't you attacked yet?"

"My apologies, My Queen!" he said, bowing. "I will have Gwydion make a monster immediately!"

"Have him make a subtle one," said Morgan. "If the Rangers are at that university, I want to catch them off guard."

"Yes, My Queen!" said Maleagant. Morgan sat back on her throne. She smirked and thought about what she'd look like as Queen of the World.

:-:-:-:**PRMK**:-:-:-:

Nimue finished up the potion she was working on and put the book down. Then, she removed her cloak/cape/robe or whatever-you-want-to-call-it. She went into her bedroom, decorated with multiple Celtic/Brythonic pagan symbols and a poster of Def Leppard. She sifted through her drawers to find something to wear for the day. She had class (yes, she is legitimately attending UCF) in about an hour. She had very few ancient clothes left (stupid bugs). All of them were modern, and magically-conjured.

A simple tank top and shorts would do today. But if she wore those clothes in Camelot, she would have been cast out. Celtic women were more liberated than most women at the time, but these modern times are… different.

Apart from the pagan symbols, the cauldron and ritual space, the apartment looked pretty normal (for the time period). Hell, the cauldron and ritual space could be waved away with a wave of the hand (one of the first things a magician learns; it's simple magic, really). She picked up her books and back pack and walked out the door of the apartment.

She could get used to the modern amenities, she could like the comparatively liberated time period, she liked the food, she liked the people, but she just could not get used to how bloody hot it was in Florida! But, the Caliburn Swords made the choice, not her (to be honest, she thought they'd go to Brits, not Americans [hell, she's been asleep for 1500 years, she didn't even know there _was _anything across the Atlantic]).

It was a quick ride on the LYNX tram/light rail to the UCF Campus. This, of course, is one of the best things about the future, in her opinion. Public transportation is fantastic. Once the tram reached the UCF station, she hopped right off and jogged across the street onto the campus.

Nimue's first class of the day was an English lit class. The language of the descendents of the Saxons had become one of the dominant languages in the world. Did she have a problem with that? Actually, no. She had to leave the past behind in order to help protect the future.

"Hey, Nimue," a voice said to her as she was walking to class.

"Hello Jen," said Nimue. "How are you?"

"I'm doing okay," she said. "But I'm a little tired since my dance class was more difficult than I thought."

"How?" Nimue asked.

"My teacher, Miss Korver, was in a bad mood today," she said. "She kind of took it out on us and made us dance harder."

"That's a shame," said Nimue. "Are you majoring in dance?"

"No, it's a minor," said Jen. "I'm majoring in Criminology-slash-Criminal Justice."

"Criminology?" Nimue asked. "Why?"

"I love the _CSI_ and _Law & Order _shows," she said. Okay, that's an interesting reason.

"Oh, why does it have to be so bloody hot?" Nimue asked, changing the subject. "And it's humid, too."

"It's Florida," said Jen. "This is what you get for living in Dark Ages England."

"Britain," Nimue corrected. "England didn't exist then."

"Right, sorry," said Jen. "I'm not a 1,500-year-old like you."

"It's okay," said Nimue.

The campus was crowded as usual. Most of the students, faculty and staff were gathered around the Student Union. But Nimue and Jen walked to the south end of campus instead. "I have to go to class," said Nimue. "It was nice seeing you."

"Goodbye," said Jen. "Oh, where do you live, again?"

"I don't live too far from campus," said Nimue. "You should come see me some time."

"Okay," Jen said as she left for her next class. Nimue then left for her next class.

It just so happened to be that Richard was in this class. Meeting two Rangers in one day, that's not bad. "Hey Nimue," he said, barely even looking up at her as she sat down at the desk to his left.

"Hello Richard," she said as she took her stuff out of her backpack. "I should have expected you in this class."

"I wonder why you're here," said Richard.

"I needed a major," Nimue replied.

"Alright, everyone," said their instructor, Michael Fenton. "Let's get this class started. Last time, I had you all read _Rime of the Ancient Mariner_ for homework. And I hope I can get some reading material from you." The sound of paper filled the classroom as the students took out their papers. They passed them forward while Richard leaned in to Nimue.

"Did you conjure that up with magic?" He asked.

"No," she replied. "I wrote it on my laptop. I can adapt to modern technology."

The class ended an hour later. Richard was surprised to find out Nimue had been in the class the whole time… but then he remembered she introduced herself the first day of class. She introduced herself saying she was interested in Robert Burns. It's pretty subtle, really.

After class, she went to the UCF Student Union. The place was filled with people, as usual. The question on her mind was what to get. She was hungry. And who knows, Kaz and Javier liked to spend time at the Student Union, she might meet them there. The throng of people gathered at the Student Union made it difficult to get through. She had to say 'excuse me' a few times before entering.

Once inside, she had to decide where to go; Sbarro, Burger King or Subway were the most obvious choices. However, that choice was made pretty quickly. "What are you doing here?" She turned around to see Kaz, Javier and Simone. Yumi was not around; she must have been in class.

"I was here to find something to eat," she said.

"Why don't we all find something?" Javier asked. Nimue nodded and followed the trio to the Sbarro. She almost blew her cover when she ordered venison. Luckily for her, the employees just said they didn't have any. But one wondered if she had her head screwed on right. She got a slice of pepperoni instead.

"Your time has strange food," she said after they sat down. Of course, she kept it quiet.

"At least we didn't order deer meat," said Javier. "If you want weird food, go to Disney World and have a turkey leg."

"Turkey leg?" Nimue asked.

"Yeah, a turkey leg," said Javier. "They got these big drumsticks that take fore—"

"I'm sorry about him, he likes to make really small talk," Kaz interrupted.

"This is coming from the _Zelda _freak," said Javier.

"I thought these two were friends," said Simone. "I guess I was wrong."

"We had a few fights in freshman year," said Kaz. "I still wonder why we're roommates."

"I do too," said Nimue. How these two were going to work as Rangers was going to be difficult. "I just hope you two can figure out how to work as a team; otherwise, kiss this city good-bye."

"Okay, that's a good incentive," said Javier.

"I suppose I don't need to say anything else?"

"No," said Kaz. "We get the hint."

"Good," said Nimue. "Now then, how did your classes go?" Kaz, Javier and Simone stared in disbelief. Wasn't this girl just threatening them?

"Um, they went well," said Kaz. "I saw Jen in my History class."

"History class?" Nimue asked.

"It's probably a core curriculum class," said Simone.

"It is," said Kaz. "It's 2000-level American History class."

"I will have to take that class, won't I?" She asked.

"Probably," said Javier.

"Oh, by the way, Yumi saw us," said Kaz. Simone and Nimue looked surprised. It was hard to tell if Javier was. "She saw the Zords yesterday. I don't think she saw us morph."

"That's a relief," said Nimue.

When lunch was over, they left the Student Union and split up. They all had classes in different buildings. Nimue kept telling herself to get used to the Florida heat. But there was not a cloud in the sky; it was hard to get used to it. She should have worn a hat. Yes, that would have helped. A sun hat would be perfect for a day like today. It had to be somewhere in the 80s.

It was a gods-send when she got to her next class building. It wasn't too far from the Student Union; no building is. But the trek in the heat made it feel longer than it should have. But now that she was enjoying the air conditioning, things weren't so bad.

It wasn't long before the class was over and Nimue had to go back into the bloody heat. Why weren't these kids from New York or Boston instead of Florida? If only someone found the swords before 2011. She decided to go to the Student Union and make a stop at Knight Stop to get some snacks. She wanted to rest before she went back to her apartment. Since it was—

Hey, were did that thing come from?

A large figure was positioned outside the Student Union. And it was getting a lot of attention. It looked demonic and monstrous. But since so many people were gathered around it, she assumed it was nothing. This is close to Universal and Disney; it could just be some audio-animatronics model. She ignored it, deciding it was harmless. If it was one of Morgan le Fay's monsters she could tell.

Back inside, she wiped her brow off and took off her backpack, at least just to cool off. If she could use her magic in public, she's give herself a cooling shield. But since using magic was a bad idea, it was not going to happen. The thing she had her mind on was to get something to drink. He next stop was Knight Stop.

Once there, she walked in and looked around. Where to find something to drink? Oh, right, the refrigerators in the back. It was difficult to decide what to get. Should she get water or Gatorade, Coke or Pepsi? It's a difficult question. She shrugged and decided to get water and Pepsi.

"Oh, hello Nimue," Yumi said as she stepped up to the counter.

"You work here?" Nimue asked.

"Of course," said Yumi. "My mom wanted me to find a job, so I'm working here."

"Oh, that's nice," said Nimue. "Are you doing anything else?"

"I am part of the Central Florida Future and ," she said. "They're student-run news organizations."

"Oh, that's interesting," said Nimue.

"I've been investigating those strange beasts that were seen over downtown three days ago," she said. "I was right there downtown when I saw a dragon above me. I was forced to evacuate though, so I didn't see everything."

"Wow," said Nimue. "That sounds scary."

"It was kind of scary," said Yumi. "But I'm okay now, so it's fine."

"That's reassuring," said Nimue. Kaz was a little nervous his girlfriend saw them, but it seems they had nothing to be worried about.

"I wonder if they have anything to do with these 'Power Rangers'?" Nimue wondered allowed.

"I don't know," said Nimue. "I didn't hear much about it. Well, I have to go now. I'll see you again sometime."

"So long," Yumi said as Nimue left.

_Well, that was pleasant,_ Nimue thought to herself. _She and I should talk more often_.

Nimue spent a little more time in the Student Union before leaving. The thing was still out there and drawing a large crowd. Nimue took a sip of her water before running into Kaz.

"Where do you think that came from?" Kaz asked.

"Reminds me of that guerilla musical last semester," said Javier.

"I'm still not sure it's harmless," Nimue said, starting to get worried. The ghoulish creature just stood around. People were taking pictures with it. There were a few smiles going around. Maybe it was—

Then, it attacked.

It took its right hand and swatted at the gathered students. Some were confused. Maybe this was just to look authentic? It was doing a good job of it.

But this was good enough for Kaz and Javier. "Must be one of Morgan's monsters," said Javier. Kaz, meanwhile, pulled out his Smart Phone and dialed Jen, Simone and Richard.

"Get to the Student Union," he said. "We have a problem. I don't care, just do it!"

"You'll have to stall for time," said Nimue. "I still do not know if it is real or not."

"It's real to me," said Javier.

"We'll have to lure it to the Memory Mall," said Kaz. "Where are they?"

The creature was still standing around. It did not seem to be in a hurry to do anything. All they could do was watch.

But it wasn't long before the other three arrived. They were confused. They weren't too happy about the call, but Kaz alerted them about the creature in front of the Student Union. It _had _to be one of Morgan's monsters. And it was time to act now.

"Let's find a place to morph," he said. "Then, we attack. Nimue?"

"It's one of Morgan's monsters, I can feel it," she said. Now she seemed sure of it. "Go, now." The Rangers nodded and ran away, ducking into a spot where no one could find them. They activated the Knight Phone App.

"Ready?" Kaz asked.

"_Ready!_" They dialed 3-3-5 and pressed "enter".

"_Mystic Knights, Power Up!_" In a flash of multi-colored light, they were morphed and on their way to the Student Union.

It was then the creature attacked. Almost as if it knew the Rangers were near, it began to swipe at the students. This time, they figured out what was going on. There was panic at Pegasus Circle. The only one who seemed to be calm was Nimue. But she looked as frightened as she could act. The campus police showed up and attempted to stop it. But it fired some heat beams from its eyes and melted the officers' guns.

As people stopped around them, they raced to the front of the Student Union. The creature looked at them and narrowed its eyes. People watching were confused. Was this some flash mob? "Hey, you!" Kaz shouted. "Hey, ugly!" The creature looked at him. "Betcha can't catch us!" The Rangers took off, running to the Memory Mall. The creature followed suit.

As confused students watched, the Rangers ran to the Memory Mall. Here, they would fight. The creature landed and a horde of Ghoul Soldiers appeared. People ran away as the Ghouls charged the Rangers.

"Caliburn Swords!" Kaz shouted. The Rangers drew their weapons and engaged the Ghoul Soldiers.

Kaz hacked and slashed at every Ghoul Soldier that came his way. Although he wasn't crazy about taking lives, he did what he had to do. With each thrust or slice from a Ghoul Soldier he blacked them with the Red Caliburn Sword. The Ghoul Soldiers kept coming. He blocked and parried attacks and then countered. The Ghoul Soldiers fell each time he struck. He blocked an attack and then kicked the Ghoul Soldier responsible into a pile of them. Then, he spun and took a multitude out.

The Ghoul Soldiers made it difficult but Richard was as careful as he could be. This close to the center of campus would make it difficult to prevent innocent people from getting hurt. But that's a Power Ranger's job, after all. He ducked and sweep kicked one of the Ghoul Soldiers of his feet. When he stood back up he found a Ghoul Soldier's blade in his face. He dodged it and struck back, stabbing it in the chest. Then he elbowed the one next to him. Once that was done, he reverse round-house kicked a couple.

While those two had it easy, Javier was in for a rude awakening. The Ghoul Soldiers swarmed him and attacked aggressively. The first 10 seconds of his fight he spent on his back before getting back up and letting loose. He cut down successive attempts by the Ghoul Soldiers. With a loud cry he kicked with both legs and sent two Ghoul Soldiers to hell. One Ghoul Soldier swung its sword but he quickly ducked and popped back up, swinging away and taking the Ghoul Soldier out.

Next, Simone flipped and jumped over each successive Ghoul Soldier that tried to attack her. She laid waste to her opponents. It was like they underestimated her and sent their weakest fighters to take her. Well, she was going to punish them for that. She landed near the sidewalk and spin kicked a pair of Ghouls. She quickly blocked a Ghoul's sword and countered, slashing its armor. She side kicked at another one and then backhanded another. The Ghouls were simply no match for her.

It was kind of the same with Jen. Unlike Simone, the Ghouls she fought were tough. But they were still weak. Their armor also weighed them down and they could not stop her when she danced around like a ballet dancer. She twirled and danced as each successive Ghoul attack missed. She made them pay each time. She hacked at one Ghoul's sword and knocked it out of its hands, spinning around and slashing at its armor. Another Ghoul Soldier met the same fate as she twirled and took him out.

Nimue meanwhile rushed to the scene of the battle. The UCF police were already converging on the location and forming a perimeter. This was not very convenient. She expected it, but she still did not like it. "Miss, you have to get out of here," the officer whose name tag red 'Johnson'. "It's dangerous; we don't want anyone to get hurt." Nimue was not stupid enough to disobey the officer. So she decided to play it subtle.

"Okay," she said as she backed off, but kept her eye on the battle.

"You're next, creep!" Kaz shouted as he rushed the creature. The creature braced as Kaz jumped in the air, glided and kicked the creature. The creature flipped him over and he landed right in front of it. The other Rangers soon followed and prepared to fight.

"This guy's all ugly, let's take him!" said Javier.

"No, wait!" said Jen. "Let's not. Let's do it one at a time."

"Allow me," said Richard. He shouldered the sword and charged the creature. It fired its eyebeams at him but he kept going. Then, he jumped and flipped in the air. "Lion's Water!" he shouted as he swung the Blue Caliburn Sword at the creature. He spun several times, the blade striking the creature.

"My turn!" Jen said as she jumped on Richard's shoulders. She kicked the creature in the chin and landed behind it to swing away. The creature seemed to scream, but it didn't have a voice for some reason.

It countered with a nasty backhand that sent Richard flying. But then Javier came flying in, too. Like a Griffin he flew and slashed at the creature. It didn't get a chance to counter-attack and fell to the ground. That's when Simone took charge. The Yellow Ranger rushed in and tackled the creature like a grizzly bear. Then she helped Jen flip in the air and slash the creature. The creature fell to the ground while the Rangers gathered around each other.

On the sidelines, Nimue clenched her fist in excitement. The cops just watched in stunned amazement.

Back at the Student Union, Yumi heard a commotion in the hallway. She looked up to hear some kids.

"It's the Power Rangers!" one guy said. "They're at the Memory Mall!"

What?

Back at the Memory Mall, the creature was starting to gain the upper hand on the Rangers. It flapped its wings and flew at the Rangers, firing its eye beams all the while. The Rangers had a hard time defending the beams and found themselves on the ground, groaning in agony. But Kaz got up. "Is that your best shot?" he taunted. "Come on, bring it!"

Nimue, however, had different ideas. She looked around and since no one was listening, she sent some magic to the Rangers. Their Knight Phones beeped and they flipped them open to see a text message.

"Seven-four-four-three-five-three?" Simone asked. "What does that mean?"

"Maybe we should type it in," Kaz said. He typed the numbers in and pressed 'enter'. There was a flash of light and a shield with the Red Dragon appeared on his arm. "_Now _we're talking!" he said. The other Rangers followed suit and shields appeared on their arms; Blue Lion for Richard, Green Griffin for Javier, Yellow Bear for Simone and the Pink Lynx for Jen.

"Alright, let's do this!" Kaz shouted as he brought the shield in front. "Let's go!" The Rangers charged, their shields protecting them. The creature fired its beams at them, but the shields did their job. The each slashed and cut the creature, sending sparks flying. They re-grouped in front of the creature as it struggled to get up. "Time to end this! Dragon's Fire!"

"Lion's Water!" shouted Richard.

"Griffin's Wind!" shouted Javier.

"Bear's Earth!" shouted Simone.

"Lynx's Energy!" shouted Jen.

"Power Rangers Mystic Knights,"

"_Camelot STRIKE!_" The swung their swords at the creature. It could not defend them and it took their attacks before falling down and exploding while the Rangers posed in victory.

Nimue cheered, but she was just like the crowd that had gathered; she could easily blend in. The Rangers saluted the crowd before leaving.

A few minutes later, Kaz walked back to the Student Union, de-morphed. The rest of the campus was buzzing about the recent fight at the Memory Mall. He couldn't help but smile at this. He was going to be famous!

He went to Knight Stop where Yumi was waiting. It seems she was pretty excited. "Kaz!" she exclaimed. "Didn't you hear?"

"Hear what?"

"The Power Rangers!" she said. "They were on campus! They fought this monster at the Memory Mall!"

"I think I saw that," he replied. "That was pretty crazy."

"I know!" she said. "And I didn't get to see them." Kaz chuckled. His girlfriend just wanted to see them?

"You'll probably get your chance," he replied. "Don't fret about it."

:-:-:-:**PRMK**:-:-:-:

Morgan le Fay groaned. The Rangers beat her monster _again _and to make it worse, it was a weak monster! "MALEAGANT!" she screamed. Maleagant appeared in her room.

"Yes, my Queen?" he asked.

"When I said 'be subtle', I didn't mean 'be so obvious no one would ever believe it'!"

"I'm sorry!" Maleagant prostrated. "I will do better next time!"

"You'd better," Morgan replied. "Or else I'll have your head!"

:-:-:-:**PRMK**:-:-:-:

End chapter

Hey guys, sorry I haven't gotten anything up lately. I've been kind of busy lately and this kind of got pushed to the backburner. But, I've been writing a lot lately and I decided to get this thing up. I'll try to get Chapter 7 up soon.

Tell me what you think of it, please!


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